How much influence will Ronaldo have at the 2022 World Cup?

As is well known, just before the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo publicly criticized Manchester United. He claimed he felt betrayed and that MU had failed to reinvent itself for a long time. In response to Ronaldo's statements, the Red Devils' management recently confirmed they had terminated the contract of the 37-year-old former Real Madrid player.

The controversies surrounding Ronaldo have undoubtedly affected Portugal's preparations for the 2022 World Cup to some extent. For example, when Portugal held a press conference before their match against Ghana, around 50 reporters, fully equipped with video cameras, audio recorders, and cameras, jostled and pushed, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

They all aimed to extract as much information as possible about Ronaldo. Ultimately, these reporters were caught off guard because the Portuguese national team secretly moved Ronaldo elsewhere and gave interviews at a different time without notifying the media, in order to avoid attention.

Those who did manage to reach Ronaldo received only a brief message. Specifically, they were asked not to ask the Portuguese players about Ronaldo, but only to discuss the World Cup. According to Ronaldo, he would only open up when he felt it was necessary.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo's teammate in the Portuguese national team, midfielder Bernardo Silva, stated: "I don't understand why you are so persistent in trying to find information about Ronaldo. There's nothing to it. It's shameful that you keep repeating questions about Ronaldo when the Portuguese national team has an important campaign to focus on."

Clearly, neither Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, nor the other members of the Portuguese national team want to be bothered. The problem is they can't stop the crowd's appetite when Ronaldo's appeal is simply too great. Even if his form has declined this season, Ronaldo's popularity remains unchanged.

If you go to Qatar, fans can easily spot images of Ronaldo being shown on large screens in high-rise buildings in the center of Doha. Billboards at the city's train station also frequently feature Ronaldo's image. Speaking to an ESPN reporter, one fan insisted he came to Qatar "just to see Messi and Ronaldo."

Furthermore, the overwhelming desire to see their idol led approximately 300 people to undertake a 30-minute journey from the center of Doha to the Al Samriya Autograph Collection hotel on Friday night. They had to wait a long time for the bus carrying the Portuguese national team to appear. Although Ronaldo didn't arrive until midnight, everyone patiently waited until then. They felt it was worth the sacrifice to catch a glimpse of CR7, even if only for a fleeting moment.

When he first arrived in Qatar, Ronaldo claimed he had nothing left to prove, having already achieved so much success in his career. However, a failure at the 2022 World Cup would be a betrayal of the fans' enthusiasm. Now is the time for Ronaldo to put aside all the controversies and focus on his professional career. Let's wait and see if, in what may be his last World Cup, Ronaldo is truly past his prime, or if age is just a number for him.