Portugal may be one of the best teams at the World Cup, but this team is very much about Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 29-year-old winger won his second FIFA Player of the Year award this season, beating out Argentine rival Lionel Messi. He also won the UEFA Champion's League with Real Madrid, scoring in the final, just last month.
Ronaldo is Portugal all-time leading scorer, having found the net 49 times in 111 appearances. His hat trick against Sweden booked Portugal's ticket to Brazil, where he and his countrymen will face Germany today, followed by the United the States and Ghana.
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The biggest knock against Ronaldo? He falls down rather easily sometimes and hasn't always performed well in major tournaments, having only scored twice in two previous World Cups. But his 17 goals in the UEFA Champion's League this past season set a new record, so the theory of him under-performing on the biggest stages may have gone out the window.
Angel Martinez/Real Madrid/Getty Images
PHOTO: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates scoring their fourth goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid at Estadio da Luz, May 24, 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Ronaldo's fame also extends beyond the pitch. He and model girlfriend Irina Shayk were recently featured on the cover of Vogue magazine in Spain.
He also has his own line of underwear, the CR7 Collection. With more than 26 million Twitter followers and 82 million Facebook fans, sports marketing research firm Repucom just named him the most marketable soccer player in the world.
Vogue Spain
PHOTO: Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk on the June 2014 cover of Vogue Spain.
Whether you swoon over his play or his good looks, Ronaldo will be one to watch this summer.
@christano/Instagram
PHOTO: Christano Ronaldo posted this photo to his Instagram, Dec. 31, 2013, with the caption, "Getty ready for next year with the last massage."
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