By Snehanjan Banerjee

Copyright sportskeeda

Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence will give Portugal a huge boost in the FIFA World Cup 2026. Ronaldo, now 40, looks poised to represent Portugal in six World Cup campaigns next summer.Gilberto Silva has hailed the Al-Nassr superstar’s mentality and insisted that it makes a big difference for Portugal. The former World Cup-winning Brazilian midfielder has heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo for adapting his style of play with his ageing legs. Silva said, as quoted by GOAL:”He’s a machine. Cristiano has a mentality like no other player. He can turn things around and find a solution on the pitch. In recent years, he’s not as fast as he used to be, but he’s found a role playing as a number nine and continues to score goals like mad.”Silva has singled out how influential a leader Ronaldo is and how much he inspires his teammates. He added:”What we expect from this player is his leadership. I think his leadership is so important and vital for Portugal, regardless of how long he stays on the field. I’m sure having him in the squad would be great for every player because he can inspire them, push them to their limits, and make them believe they are capable of achieving things.”Cristiano Ronaldo has won almost every trophy across his illustrious career but a World Cup triumph has eluded him. He led Portugal to the UEFA European Championship triumph in 2016 and helped them win the UEFA Nations League twice.The former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward is the most capped player in the history of football and has also scored the most international goals. He has represented Portugal on 223 occasions and scored 141 goals while providing 45 assists.Liverpool star responds when asked if Argentina’s World Cup win ended Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi debateLiverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi was never a debate for him. He has asked if Messi’s World Cup win with Argentina ended the eternal GOAT debate.Mac Allister has claimed that it was never a debate for him and insisted that he respects Cristiano Ronaldo immensely. During a fan interview on TNT Sports Football, the 26-year-old was questioned:”Do you think that the World Cup win ended the Messi versus Ronaldo debate?”The Liverpool midfielder responded:”I don’t think there was a debate even before but maybe it’s because I’m Argentinian, and with this I mean I really respect Cristiano. I think he’s the second-best in the world, and he’s been amazing. I don’t want to sound like I disrespect him, but for me, Messi is the best and there will be no one like him.”Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have shared a rivalry for almost two decades as they dominated European and World football. They won 13 Ballon d’Ors between them, which speaks volumes about their unparalleled consistency over the years.