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January 22, 2026
Time is finally part of the conversation around Cristiano Ronaldo. With 2026 looming as his likely World Cup farewell, every goal, bet, and projection carries extra weight, not just for Portugal’s chances, but for how the final chapter of his international career is remembered...
While it may seem like he can go on forever, and the man himself sometimes gives the impression that he believes that himself, it is evident that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the last dance for Cristiano Ronaldo and the Portuguese National team. Portugal will, of course, be one of the favorites heading into the tournament, as the squad is packed full of talent. Yet, just how likely are Portugal to win the thing? And what do the betting markets say about Ronaldo himself? Let’s have a look at what the markets are saying now.
Cristiano Ronaldo - All his 8 World Cup goals from 2006 to 2022
Odds: 11/1
Portugal are somewhere around 6th or 7th favorite overall to win the trophy for the first time. Odds can change in sports quite quickly, as we saw within just a few weeks of the NFL Super Bowl betting odds this season, so a lot can happen in the six months from now to the World Cup.
That said, there’s not a huge difference between the top teams, and many fans will lump Portugal in with Spain, France, England, Germany, Brazil and Argentina. Those are the ‘top-tier’ teams for the competition, and there is quite a large gap to the Netherlands (25/1) and other teams outside the top group.
It is something of a criticism of the World Cup expansion that most of the groups do not look very exciting. It’s great for smaller nations getting to qualify for the tournament, but it does mean that there is a dearth of blockbuster matches earlier on in the tournament.
The upshot for Portugal is that they should have some relatively straightforward games. Colombia (the toughest opponent) and Uzbekistan have been confirmed for Portugal’s Group K, and the final opponent will be confirmed in late March, but we know that it will be one of New Caledonia, Jamaica or DR Congo.
Odds: 20/1
The good news for Ronaldo in the group stage is that he might be able to rocket up the top scorer shots early in the tournament. Colombia, as mentioned, will be difficult, but he will fancy his chances to score a few against Uzbekistan and whichever team comes through the qualifiers.
You just know that Ronaldo does not sit easy with his return of eight goals from World Cup tournaments – great by most players’ standards, not by his – so he will want to be getting into double figures at least by the end of the Group Stage. After that, who knows?
We don’t want to get too bogged down on the permutations of the knockout rounds. However, if it is going by form, Portugal could have an easy road to the Quarter-Finals. The Round of 32 (newly added for this World Cup) will see the winners of Portugal’s Group play a 3rd place team. After that, it’s potentially the winner of Canada’s Group B, which is extremely weak. If both teams win their Groups, Portugal could play Argentina in the Quarter-Finals. Imagine a final Messi vs. Ronaldo showdown.
As stated, Portugal are considered among the favorites for the World Cup, and rightly so. They have a relatively easy group, and there is a decent pathway through the knockout rounds. That could obviously change if Portugal don’t get things right in the Group Stage. Yet, most fans of the legendary CR7 will be hoping that the player goes out on a high with the national team, hopefully with a medal around his neck.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on January 26, against Al Taawon, for the Saudi Super League. You can watch Al Nassr vs Al Taawon, Villarreal vs Real Madrid, Barça vs Oviedo, Fenerbahce vs Aston Villa, Braga vs Nottingham Forest and AS Roma vs Stuttgart, all matches provided from our football live game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Nassr vs Al Taawon kick-off time (26-01-2026):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 01:30
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 23:00
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+3: 20:30
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:30
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:30
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:30
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:30
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 10:30
Sources: ronaldo7.net / bbc.co.uk / theweek.com
