HThey say that the operation is the last thing that dies. Fans still expect Cristiano Ronaldo to play against Mexico on March 28th at Estadio Banorte and against the USMNT on March 31st at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This will be Cristiano Ronaldo’s only match against the national team before his sixth and final World Cup.
However, he has been off the field in recent weeks due to a hamstring injury, and there has been no official confirmation that he will be on the field. However, this is not the first time he has missed games against these teams.
How many games did CR7 play against Mexico and USA?
Since the 41-year-old Portugal star started playing for Portugal, his team has faced Mexico four times. Interestingly, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has missed three of those matches.
At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he did not play in the third group stage match against Mexico (which ended in a 2-1 victory for his team).
A few years later, in 2014, the two teams met in Boston as part of preparations for the Brazil World Cup, but CR7 was left out of the squad due to tendinitis in his left knee.
Finally, in the 2017 Confederations Cup, Mexico faced Portugal in the first group stage match, with Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup. He played the full 90 minutes and recorded an assist in the game that ended 2-2. However, at the same tournament Mexico faced Portugal again in the third place match, but according to ESTO, CR7 asked for permission to leave the camp because he had just become a father to Eva Mara and Mateo (twins, surrogate). After Portugal lost to Chile in the semi-finals, the coach gave him permission.
Cristiano, on the other hand, has only played against the United States once in an official match against Portugal. This match took place during the group stage of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, specifically on June 22, 2014 at the Arena da Amazunía. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Ronaldo providing the crucial assist for Silvestre Barrera’s equalizing goal in the final minute.
In 2017, Portugal ended in a 1-1 draw with the United States in a friendly, but Cristiano was absent due to the coach’s decision and rest.
Meanwhile, with less than 90 days left until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo’s participation will depend on his progress in recovering from injury.
According to Al Riyadh, the Portuguese national team has called up Cristiano and Joao Félix from Al Nasr, but “Ronaldo’s participation will be decided as soon as the final medical report regarding his injury is released.” For now, all we can do is wait.
