Ronaldo de Lima has been part of four separate World Cups as a Brazil winner, a run that has cemented his reputation as one of the competition\u2019s historic leading scorers. But the tournament is now unfolding for him from a notably different angle than it did when he was running onto the pitch as a player and chasing goals at the highest level.<\/p>\n
Still, the former striker is convinced Brazil can make another deep run and claim a sixth World Cup crown. He pointed to the club experience and temperament of coach Carlo Ancelotti, saying he has \u201ctremendous confidence\u201d in the Italian\u2019s ability to steady the group, reduce the noise around the team, and help players perform at their best. Ronaldo added that Ancelotti understands football in a way that few can match, and that he knows how to manage pressure in the moments that decide major tournaments. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t choose any other coach for the Sele\u00e7\u00e3o right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ronaldo also made clear he is in favour of bringing Neymar into Brazil\u2019s World Cup plans. In his view, Neymar is the type of match-winner who can tilt a game in Brazil\u2019s favour when it matters most, noting that he does not see anyone else in the current squad with the same kind of game-changing impact. He argued that the opportunity should not be missed because Neymar has been cleared by doctors, is in good physical condition, and now has the chance to silence the doubts that followed him. Ronaldo even drew a comparison to his own comeback in 2002, when Brazil ultimately lifted the trophy that year.<\/p>\n
With Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 having moved past him on the World Cup scoring standings, Ronaldo said that \u201call records are meant to be broken.\u201d However, he insisted that the rise of new goal-getters does not lessen what a player achieves across a career. He described Messi as one of the greatest footballers in the sport\u2019s history who continues to be both influential and decisive. Regarding Mbapp\u00e9, Ronaldo said the forward\u2019s playing style reminds him of his own peak years, calling him one of the game\u2019s top performers today and a natural successor to the sport\u2019s standout figures.<\/p>\n
When asked about the title picture, Ronaldo named France, Spain and Argentina as his favourites to win the World Cup, while stressing that those teams also represent Brazil\u2019s most significant rivals in the race for the championship.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to France\u2019s coaching future, L\u2019\u00c9quipe has suggested that Zinedine Zidane could be in line to take charge of Les Bleus, a storyline that has circulated for some time. Ronaldo backed that notion, saying he has \u201calways\u201d believed Zidane has the ideal profile for the role\u2014citing talent, experience, tactical awareness, and the right character. He added that it is not just a guess, pointing instead to Zidane\u2019s record of strong work at Real Madrid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ronaldo de Lima has been part of four separate World Cups as a Brazil winner, a run that has cemented his reputation as one of the competition\u2019s historic leading scorers. But the tournament is now unfolding for him from a notably different angle than it did when he was running onto the pitch as a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2743,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Ronaldo de Lima World Cup Legacy: Brazil\u2019s Next Run","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ronaldo de Lima looks back on his four World Cup wins and urges Brazil to build momentum for a sixth title as the tournament evolv","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n