Dalot Says World Cup Win Would Crown Ronaldo's Career Perfectly
Dalot Says World Cup Win Would Crown Ronaldo's Career Perfectly
Portugal defender Diogo Dalot has said that winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup would provide the perfect conclusion to Cristiano Ronaldo's career, adding that support for the veteran forward extends far beyond Portugal's own fanbase. Speaking to CazéTV, the Manchester United full-back described a "global union" of football supporters backing Ronaldo's bid to claim the one major honour that has eluded him throughout an unprecedented international career.
"I think it's not just a Portuguese union, I think it's also a global union, a union of football," Dalot said. "For everything that Cristiano has done, not only for Portugal, but also for football itself, it would be beautiful for him to end his football career with a World Cup on his CV. If you ask me: does he need a World Cup to be considered one of the best of all time? No, but I think it would bring more beauty to his career and it could obviously be a beautiful trophy for him to have, without a doubt. I hope that happens, because besides wanting him to win, as a fan of his and as a football fan, I would also know that for my country it would be an important trophy. To be a part of that would be spectacular."
Ronaldo, 41, holds the all-time records for both international appearances and goals, having scored 143 times across 226 matches for Portugal. The tournament represents one of his last realistic opportunities to add a World Cup title to a career that already includes European Championship glory with Portugal in 2016. His long-standing rival Lionel Messi, by contrast, secured the trophy with Argentina at the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Dalot has been named in Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez's initial 27-man training squad ahead of the tournament. That group, which temporarily includes a fourth goalkeeper in Ricardo Velho of Gençlerbirliği, will be reduced to the 26-player limit required for the official FIFA submission, due on June 2. Portugal open their training camp on June 1 and are scheduled to play warm-up fixtures against Chile and Nigeria before establishing their base in Miami. They begin their Group H campaign against DR Congo on June 17, with further group stage matches to follow against Uzbekistan and Colombia.
