When Cristiano Ronaldo walks into the Aviva Stadium field on Thursday night, it will be the moment of one more complete circle in the history and hunger-driven career. The Portuguese forward has spent 16 years in Dublin, making his debut for Real Madrid there; 40 years on, he has returned to seek a sixth qualification to the World Cup with Portugal.
The Republic of Ireland against Portugal match in the Dublin Aviva Stadium (19:45 GMT) is filled with massive stakes not only in terms of the qualification, but also the opportunity to watch one of the greatest football players complete the end of a two-decade international career.
North America 2026 will be Ronaldo’s last World Cup, but he will be fully dedicated to it. Everyone speaks about age, said Portuguese journalist Miguel Pereira, but to Ronald,o longevity has become an ingredient in his name.
In fact, it is his stamina that resembles the other sporting legends: LeBron James with his son on an NBA court at 40, and Novak Djokovic with the Olympic titles in sight at 41. It is this desire to quantify his greatness by countable things in the form of trophies and goals that makes Ronaldo persist according to Pereira.
Since his debut Ballon d’Or in 2008, up to his current role as head coach of a young Portugal team, Ronaldo has always had a passion for competing. Although younger stars such as Haaland and Yamal can make news, no one can match his capacity to exert influence worldwide.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is still a controversial yet an attractive figure following a viral interview with Piers Morgan a week ago. You like him or not, football is back to the same man in Dublin in 2009, who was motivated by the legacy, and is seeking immortality.
