Renowned footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has resumed his international career with the Portuguese national team in the UEFA Nations League, while a new generation of talented Spanish players have emerged as dominant forces in European football.
Cristiano Ronaldo has prolonged his record-breaking career with the Portugal national team to the extent that he is now witnessing a new generation of Spanish players emerging to dominate international soccer.
“At the moment I feel I’m no longer contributing, I will be the first to step away,” stated the 39-year-old Ronaldo on Monday, just before the national team resumes its activities in Europe this week. “My motivation lies in representing the national team and securing victory in the Nations League.”
Both Portugal and Spain are set to compete on Thursday, kicking off a new UEFA Nations League campaign less than two months after the European Championship final held in Germany.
Ronaldo has previously led Portugal to triumph in both tournaments—the 2019 Nations League and Euro 2016—while Spain currently holds both titles, fueled by an exciting influx of young talent.
Lamine Yamal, the 17-year-old standout of Euro 2024, and 20-year-old Gavi were not yet born when Ronaldo participated in his first major tournament final, which was the Euro 2004 defeat against Greece.
During some of Ronaldo's most illustrious years, he faced off against the legendary Spanish team that achieved an unprecedented trio of titles at Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012. In the knockout stages of the latter two tournaments, Spain eliminated Portugal.
Spain has reclaimed its position at the forefront of international football ahead of the 2026 World Cup, where there is a possibility of witnessing a 41-year-old Ronaldo and a 39-year-old Lionel Messi participating in a historic sixth tournament in North America.
When questioned about his future World Cup aspirations on Monday, Ronaldo remarked in translated statements, “I cannot provide a definitive answer as I am uncertain about what the future holds.”
Ronaldo was excluded from the Portugal squad during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and did not score in five matches at Euro 2024. He is now gearing up to compete against Croatia on Thursday, aiming to enhance his national team records of 212 appearances and 130 goals.
“I will approach this with a clear conscience, as always, because I am aware of my capabilities,” he stated. “I understand what I have accomplished and what I will continue to pursue.”
2026 World Cup is coming fast
The Nations League opens with the next World Cup very much in mind.
European qualifying groups for the 2026 World Cup are set to be drawn in Zurich in December, likely with seedings decided by FIFA world rankings updated in November after Nations League group play ends.
World Cup qualifying in Europe typically starts in March but the top-tier teams who advance to the Nations League Final Four next June are not free until September.
Those in the Final Four lineup must go into four-team World Cup qualifying groups, playing just six games in total from September-November 2025. Five-team qualifying groups must start in March or June.
UEFA members have a slightly different path to the 2026 World Cup because they get 16 places in the expanded 48-team finals tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 12 group winners qualify direct to the World Cup. The 12 runners-up enter a 16-team playoffs in March 2026. Four more playoff entries are based on Nations League standings.
The 16 playoff teams are drawn into four playoff brackets. Single-game semifinals and finals decide the four World Cup entries.
By giving teams a qualifying route from the Nations League into World Cups and European Championships, UEFA aims to boost its third-tier national-team event.
Spain mainly reigns again
Spain was the men’s soccer champion at Euro 2024, the Paris Olympics and the 2023 Nations League.
The Nations League defense starts with two away games, on Thursday against Serbia in Belgrade and Sunday against Switzerland in Geneva. Also in the group is Denmark.
The main attraction since Euro 2024 is watching good friends Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams attacking teams from each wing.
Ageless greats back in action
Not only have 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, who turns 39 on Monday, and 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski not yet retired from international soccer, they will meet in the same Nations League group.
It should be Ronaldo vs. Modrić on Thursday in Lisbon and Modrić vs. Lewandowski on Sunday in Osijek, Croatia.
It is Scotland’s honor and challenge to face the veteran trio — combining for 542 national-team games and 239 goals heading into this week — six times in Group A1 through mid-November.
France the team to watch
France captained by Kylian Mbappé has two standout games, hosting Italy on Friday in Paris and welcoming Belgium on Monday at Lyon.
Israel completes the group and plays its first two games in neutral Hungary because of the ongoing conflict with Hamas. Israel’s home game against Italy on Monday is in Budapest, and its away game against Belgium on Friday is in Debrecen.
The Belgian soccer federation said in July “no local authority in Belgium considers it possible” to stage a game against Israel for security reasons.
Another high-profile game sees Euro 2024 semifinalist Netherlands hosting Germany next Tuesday.
Another format change
The multi-tiered Nations League format always was complex since launching in 2018 to give teams more competitive games against opponents of similar level
Top-tier teams in League A are competing to advance to the Final Four the following year, and avoid relegation to League B. England, Austria and Turkey are in the second tier.
Mid- and low-ranked nations can win promotion and look for playoffs paths to reach a World Cup or European Championship. That is how Euro 2024 surprise Georgia qualified.
The new feature for this edition is a quarterfinals round next March for eight top-tier nations, and promotion-relegation playoffs for 20 more teams.
AP