Cristiano Ronaldo Doesn’t Think Portugal Can Win World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the two best players in the world, but even he can tell his Portugal team is simply not up to par and there is no way they have a chance. The statement is quite blunt, especially coming from one of the most self-confident players out there.

But even Ronaldo can see what is apparent — Portugal is not a top contender — and after the tough match against the United States on Sunday — which they tied with their last breath — not many will disagree. Portugal looked tired and didn’t really have a rhythm throughout.

The United States team showed a lot more heart, and proved how much they have progressed under the tutelage of former West Germany star, Jurgen Klinsmann. For Cristiano Ronaldo, who is used to winning the biggest titles in Europe, it was disappointing not to be able to topple the Americans.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Seleccao is still, mathematically, not eliminated, but currently sits at the bottom of their “Group of Death” as they have called Group G. Sunday was the perfect example of why this group earned that nickname. A match not for the faint of heart.

But that is a long way from admitting that your team has no chance to win it all. For Cristiano Ronaldo, who has an ego bigger than those of his teammates put together, it must be a bitter pill to swallow. The Portuguese striker has expressed his desire to win it all and maybe if he was 100 percent fit, it would be possible.

Portugal was missing key players due to injury or suspension — as in Pepe’s famous headbutt — in the match against the United States and Ronaldo thinks his squad is simply not good enough:

“Maybe we’re an average team. It would be a lie to say that we are a ‘top’ team. We have many limitations and suffer from injuries such as with Pepe [who was suspended] and [Fabio] Coentrao. This limits us a lot. We have a very limited team and we are not at the best level. This does not enable you to beat top teams.

“There are no miracles. We knew we would have a tough group, with perhaps teams better than us. I never thought we could be world champions, we have to be humble and know our level. I’m not a hypocrite, I never thought we could win the tournament.”

As honest as that statement is, Cristiano Ronaldo made no excuses for his under par performance because of an injury that has been plaguing him for months. He is suffering from tendinitis to his left knee and if you watched closely you may have noticed the bandage he was wearing:

“I don’t want to justify myself by talking about my physical problems, that’s water under the bridge. I’m here, I’m fighting, I’m trying to do my best, I’m running, and obviously it’s no use talking about my issues.”

It may be that the regular season and UEFA Champions League is catching up to the 29-year-old, but Cristiano Ronaldo says that all players in the World Cup are going through the same and he will not use that as an excuse. Even though Ronaldo provided the assist for that last minute goal, he is a realist:

“Obviously we had a very long season, but every team here did as well. They were also playing the Champions League and cups and leagues, so it’s something everyone else could point out as well.”

What do you think of Cristiano Ronaldo’s statements about his team’s chances to win the World Cup?

[Image via Twitter]