Lisbon, June 4 -- Former Portugal footballer Antonio Simoes, part of the 1966 FIFA World Cup squad that achieved their best-ever third-place finish, backed the current squad to do well in the 2026 edition of the tournament and highlighted the importance of superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo in deciding the outcome of the matches.

Portugal will play friendlies against Chile on June 6 and Nigeria on June 10 before starting its WC campaign against Congo on June 17, followed by a clash with Uzbekistan on June 23, before concluding the group stage against Colombia on June 27. This will mark Cristiano's sixth FIFA World Cup appearance, a trophy he has yet to win despite years of several international/club level trophies and records.

Speaking...