Time to put a pause on club football, as September ushers in the international break. Some exciting fixtures are lined up for the upcoming two weeks in the brand new edition of the UEFA Nations League, but the majority of eyes are on today’s clash seeing Portugal facing League A Group 1 rivals Croatia. Heading into the game, there’s the biggest question as always- Will Cristiano Ronaldo be in action tonight?

Having won this tournament in 2019, Os Navegadores will again look to lift the prestigious trophy. For that, Roberto Martinez has decided to pick a strong team but also with a lot of changes at the helm. Interestingly enough, the former Belgium boss also called up CR7 for the September window to face Croatia and then Scotland on Sunday, September 8.

The good news is that fans are in luck. Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing tonight against Croatia. The Portuguese superstar will try to wear his nation’s color with a fresh mind, especially after what happened in the recent 2024 UEFA Euros. Not only did the 39-year-old fail to lead his side to restore the 2016 glory, but he even failed to get his name on the scoresheet for once throughout the European campaign.

Portugal looked quite strong before the Euro upset. They finished the Euro qualifiers stage with all victories in their 10 games. The 2019 winners kept their winning streak alive with friendly victories over Sweden, Slovenia, and Finland. However, it was Croatia that ended their dream run, losing the friendly clash 1-2 on June 8 before they clinched a 3-0 victory over Ireland to enter the Euros.

Martinez and Co. started the Euros on a strong note, winning the opening two games against Czechia and Turkey. Though Portugal lost the final group-stage match against Georgia, two victories were enough to make it to the next stage of the competition. In the round of 16, they survived the penalty shootout scare against Slovenia following a stalemate. However, similar wasn’t the case in the quarter-finals, where Kylian Mbappe’s France won the shootout instead.

Regardless, Ronaldo will be hoping to keep a right foot in the Nations League while forgetting what happened in the past. He should, unless he is interested to see a day that may upset him.

Cristiano Ronaldo can make things right with UEFA Nations League triumph

Making it into Portugal’s national team roster for the record sixth time surely tells a lot about Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity. However, that is also a sign for the Al Nassr star that his time is nearing. Clearly, the recent Euros were clear signs that he is struggling to uphold the pressure of carrying his team which is also affecting his individual performances.

Honestly, it was rather the Portugal group that carried the Manchester United icon. Such instances don’t make his case for making it to the 2026 World Cup roster, which potentially could be his last-ever international tournament. Until then, he has plenty, yet a limited amount of time to turn things in his favor and lead his side to glory. For now, a good performance in the Nations League can be a good start.