TThe news that Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the FIFA double-header in Portugal in March saddened thousands of Mexican fans who had hoped to see the 41-year-old Portuguese star in action in his home country.
The Portugal captain was scheduled to play against Mexico at the Estadio Banorte on March 28th and against the USMNT at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on March 31st, but a hamstring injury hampered his chances and he will not be with the team. Given the situation, Bruno Fernandes expressed empathy for the fans.
Fernandes shares his thoughts on CR7’s absence
Cristiano will miss his sixth and final World Cup, his only match on home soil, as he recovers from a hamstring injury sustained in the 3-1 win over Al-Nassr against Al-Fayha on February 28, which forced him to be substituted.
For this reason, the coaching staff of the Portuguese national team and the Saudi Arabian club have decided not to risk the Portuguese star playing in these matches and prioritize his recovery.
This caused disappointment and sadness among Mexican fans who were looking forward to his appearance at the renovated Azteca Stadium (Banorte Stadium) for the 2026 World Cup. However, the Manchester United midfielder commented on the match and sent a warm message:
“I know that the people there wanted to see Cristiano, because he’s obviously a central figure in our national team and in our football. It’s really disappointing not to be able to see him up close, but obviously it’s going to be a very good match between two very good teams,” Bruno said in an interview with TNT Sports (via Boravip).
Furthermore, Fernandes underlined how special this match will be and expressed his excitement to be part of the reopening of Azteca Stadium, which will be the first stadium to host three World Cups. He added: “We are really looking forward to playing in that legendary stadium. It will be a great journey for us to get to know the country and the climate, and maybe we will play in the second half of the World Cup.”
According to various reports, Cristiano’s recovery from the injury is expected to take three to four weeks from the onset of the injury, and it is estimated that he could return to the field around April 3rd, when he will play directly in Al Nasr’s match against Al Najma SC.
Personally, injuries temporarily halted his quest to reach 1,000 official career goals, leaving him with 965 career goals.
With nearly 80 days until the start of the World Cup, only time will tell when the Portuguese star will be back on the field.
