Ronaldo is set for his record sixth World Cup

Ahead of Portugal's departure to the United States, Cristiano Ronaldo said he is in great shape and looking forward to the start of his record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old captain started in both of the victorious warm-up matches against Chile and Nigeria. Although he did not manage to score goals, Ronaldo reacted quite sharply to questions from journalists about his physical condition: "Physically? I'm fine - haven't you seen my matches?". Evaluating the team's preparation, the star forward admitted that the training camp was very exhausting. "It was good, but tiring because we worked hard. We had the advantage in our matches, but the most important thing will start on the 17th, in the first game. When the pressure really increases - that's when we will see the real champions," he emphasized. Ronaldo approaches the tournament as the absolute record holder among men's national teams in terms of the number of matches played (227) and goals scored (143). The World Cup remains the only major trophy still missing from his illustrious career (Portugal's best World Cup finish is third place in 1966). When asked if his team is the favorite to win, the five-time winner of the Ballon d'Or answered modestly: "We will only know at the end. But we know that the World Cup is always a special tournament, so we are going there full of hope." It is worth noting that this year Portugal has one of the strongest squads in its history. Bruno Fernandes had a phenomenal season with Manchester United, setting the Premier League record for most assists in a single season (21) and winning the player of the league award. In addition, the quartet from Paris Saint-Germain - Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Vithinho and Gonzalo Ramos - will arrive in UEFA Champions League and French Ligue 1 status. Ronaldo himself won at the club level this season in the Saudi Professional League with An-Nasr. "We have a very good generation. There are factors that we cannot control, but I believe that this generation will bring a lot of joy to the Portuguese people," the captain said. Portugal will begin their journey in the tournament in Group K. The schedule of matches is as follows: June 17: vs. Congo June 23: vs. Uzbekistan June 28: vs. Colombia "The main thing is to start well and finish at the top of the group. Then it's game by game, step by step, a calm approach and building confidence. It will depend on many factors, but I'm very confident that everything will go well," concluded the Portuguese leader.