J Neves: Ronaldo Starts Sixth World Cup for Portugal
j neves led the story in Group 11 on Wednesday as Cristiano Ronaldo started his sixth World Cup participation for Portugal against the Democratic Republic of Congo. The match opened Portugal’s first-round campaign, with Ronaldo already carrying 143 goals for his country.
Ronaldo and Pauleta
The milestone sits on top of a long scoring chase. Pauleta had held Portugal’s all-time scoring mark with 47 goals until November 2013, when Ronaldo broke it and kept moving to 143 goals for the national team.
Pauleta said he was satisfied with the turn of events in Qatar. “Estou muito feliz pelo que conquistei com a seleção de Portugal” he said in comments to BeIN Sports, before adding, “Espero que Cristiano Ronaldo marque muitos gols. É verdade que ele conseguiu quebrar um recorde do qual eu me orgulhava, mas ele é um dos melhores jogadores do mundo e adora quebrar recordes.”
Portugal in Group 11
That same interview placed the record break in a wider frame for Portugal, which opened the first round of Group 11 against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uzbekistan and Colombia were the other teams in the group, giving Ronaldo a group stage that begins with three more opponents around the same opening round.
Pauleta also said, “Por isso, ele conseguiu quebrar meu recorde com a seleção, mas estou feliz por ser o segundo maior artilheiro da história da seleção portuguesa até agora, e nós, como portugueses, temos orgulho de Ronaldo.” The former Portugal striker made those remarks while speaking in Qatar, where the weight of Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup appearance met the history of Portugal’s scoring record in the same moment.
For Portugal, the immediate fact is simple: its captain has reached a sixth World Cup while standing alone atop the national scoring list. The next test comes inside Group 11, where the opening result will shape the path against Uzbekistan and Colombia.
