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Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who finished the 2021 European Championship as its top scorer, is a statistical favorite to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, CartonSport has noted.
Playing in the fifth FIFA World Cup of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo will look to lead his team to the ultimate international accolade in Qatar this year. A particular European Championship streak makes him the favorite to do so. CartonSport has pointed out that the last three top scorers of the European Championships have gone on to win the subsequent FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Spanish legend David Villa emerged as the top scorer in the 2008 European Championship with four goals. His country won the European Championship in 2008 and bagged their first-ever World Cup in 2010. In 2012, German ace Mario Gomez finished the European Championship as its joint-top scorer with three strikes. Germany won the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
In the 2016 European Championship, Antoine Griezmann became the leading goalscorer, scoring six times for France over the course of the tournament. A couple of years later, Les Bleus won the World Cup, ending a 20-year drought.
Cristiano Ronaldo finished the 2020 European Championship (held in 2021) with five goals, emerging as the joint-top scorer alongside Czech Republic’s Patrick Schick. It will be interesting to see if Cristiano Ronaldo can follow in Griezmann’s footsteps and carry Portugal to World Cup glory in Qatar this year.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s current form is a worry for Portugal
Portugal skipper Ronaldo is one of the best goalscorers in the history of the game, but his form, lately, has been far from impressive. The Manchester United ace has scored only thrice in 14 games across competitions, cutting a frustrating figure more often than not.
Considering he is practically undroppable from the Portugal line-up, it could be difficult for Fernando Santos to find the best solution. Ronaldo's leadership will undoubtedly serve as an asset, but if he cannot produce decisive performances against gritty opponents, Santos’ side might have a hard time going deep into the tournament.
Ronaldo’s side kick off their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign with a clash against Ghana on November 24.
