Sir Alex Ferguson writes off Cristiano Ronaldo’s chances of playing for Portugal at World Cup 2026 aged 41

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has written off Cristiano Ronaldo starring for Portugal at the 2026 World Cup – when he will be 41-years-old.

Ronaldo has already confirmed this will be his last Euros but it is not clear whether he aims to play in the World Cup in 2026.

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Manchester United legend Ferguson has admitted that he thinks Ronaldo would struggle to make an impact at the World Cup because of the growing demand it has on his body.

When asked if he expects to see Ronaldo at the tournament, Ferguson told SportBild : “I can’t imagine that. Football will become even faster and more athletic in the coming years.

“In addition, the space for central strikers will become increasingly smaller.

“In contrast to defenders, it is more difficult for strikers to play at the highest level when they are older.”

But Ferguson, who shaped Ronaldo into the superstar he istoday, considers the Al-Nassr star “one of the greatest players of all time.”

And the Scotsman said the Portugal legend has nothing more to prove.

He added: “One or two more titles would not mean much to him, because he has had a unique career.”

The Euros have not been an easy competition for Ronaldo who has screamed, cried and failed to score .

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In the last-16 clash against Slovenia , Ronaldo lost his cool after he missed a penalty and apologised to fans.

He made up for it in the penalty shootout and will now face France in the quarter-final on Friday.

Ronaldo will be determined to prove his critics wrong when he faces Mbappe and Co.

But he is still yet to score during this summer’s tournament despite spearheading his Portugal team’s attack.

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