Cristiano Ronaldo is now under fresh pressure after Portugal’s U-17 footballers achieved something he never has winning a World Cup. Portugal’s U-17 team defeated Austria 1–0 in the final to lift their first-ever U-17 World Cup title.
Ronaldo has yet to win a World Cup for the senior team, while Lionel Messi increased the pressure by winning it for Argentina last time. Now, ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Portugal’s youth team has raised the bar even higher. Fittingly, they won the trophy in Qatar the same country where Messi became world champion.
Earlier this year, Portugal had also won the U-17 European Championship. Their double triumph has delighted Ronaldo, who shared the world-champion squad’s photo on social media.
This was Portugal’s first U-17 World Cup appearance since 2003, and they turned it into a historic triumph. Led by Rafael Quintas, the team displayed dominant football throughout the tournament.
They beat New Caledonia 6–1 in their opener, then thrashed Morocco 6–0. In the knockouts, they defeated Belgium 2–1, Mexico 5–0, Switzerland 2–0, and overcame Brazil in a tough semifinal via tiebreaker. Their only loss came against Japan in the group stage (1–2).
This is the first World Cup title in any category for Ronaldo’s country a landmark achievement for Portuguese football.
