It was the sort of friendly that could easily have slipped from memory. Played early in the 2003 season against Kazakhstan, in front of a sold-out crowd of just 8,000 on a pitch so shabby the grass had to be painted. That narrow 1-0 win in Chaves, northern Portugal, is remembered because it marked the senior debut of a 17-year-old from Madeira: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Twenty-three years later, Ronaldo is about to play at his sixth World Cup – a record he shares with Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa. He is international football's all-time leading scorer with 143 goals, and has transformed Portugal's mentality. "Cristiano allows our small country to be known worldwide for something great," said Joao Aroso, who worked with him at Sporting and the national team.
“Cristiano Ronaldo prepares for a record sixth World Cup amid debate over his role, while Patrice Evra warns teenage star Lamine Yamal.”
Yet the scrutiny around his role has intensified since Qatar 2022. Antonio Simoes, a member of Portugal's 1966 World Cup third-place team, said: "He doesn't play to win, he plays to be the main figure. Let's call things by their name. I can't run away from the reality of the facts." Portugal coach Roberto Martinez dismisses such talk as "lift talk", pointing to 25 goals in Ronaldo's past 31 international games. "We are talking about the greatest player of all time," Martinez said. "He is here because he is still performing at a very high level."
As Portugal debates its captain, a different spotlight falls on Spain's teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal, who is set to play his first World Cup at just 18. Patrice Evra, the former Manchester United and France left-back, has warned the youngster. "I'm sorry Lamine, I love you very much, you are a crack in one-vs-one situations, but in my prime I would have eaten you alive," Evra told ESPN. "Ask Cristiano Ronaldo, ask Messi, ask other players when they faced me. I am not a good friend."
Evra faced Messi's Barcelona in three Champions League finals, losing all three with Messi decisive each time. The 45-year-old spent eight-and-a-half years at United, winning 14 trophies including five Premier League titles. Yamal, meanwhile, is recovering from a hamstring injury and is likely to miss Spain's group matches against Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.