F1 Star Charles Leclerc Backs Cristiano Ronaldo to Win 2026 FIFA World Cup

Charles Leclerc Backs Portugal's World Cup Chances With Ronaldo Up Front

The Ferrari driver made his feelings clear ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, sharing his belief that Portugal has a genuine chance to go all the way with Ronaldo leading the attack. Leclerc also admitted his frustration over Italy failing to qualify for the tournament.

"It would be cool if Cristiano Ronaldo wins the World Cup with Portugal before retiring from football," Leclerc said.

It's not a stretch to see why Leclerc feels that way. Portugal isn't a one-man show anymore. The squad is stacked with Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Rafael Leão, players who can take over a game on their own. There's defensive steel and midfield creativity running through this roster, and that structural depth allows Ronaldo to operate as a pure target man inside the box rather than carrying the team on his back.

This Portugal side looks nothing like the older versions that leaned entirely on their captain to manufacture something out of nothing.

Ronaldo's career numbers are almost too large to process. He currently sits at 973 official senior career goals for club and country and has collected 36 major team trophies across spells in England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia.

Before his arrival on the international stage, Portugal had qualified for just three World Cups in their entire history. He changed that, dragging the nation into the conversation and delivering their first major silverware at Euro 2016, followed by the Nations League in 2019.

The 2026 World Cup final is set for July 19. Whether Ronaldo is still standing on that stage lifting the one trophy that has eluded him his entire career remains to be seen. But he'll be in North America with every intention of making it happen.