Why Is Cristiano Ronaldo STILL Starting For Portugal?

Cristiano Ronaldo has had the most shots at UEFA Euro 2024, has the highest xG, and took a penalty against Slovenia, yet he is still yet to score his first goal.
It follows in the footsteps of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Ronaldo's only goal was a group stage penalty against Ghana, and was dropped in the Round of Sixteen against Switzerland.
So in this video, HITC Sevens takes a look at why, despite being 39 years old and having been playing in Saudi Arabia for the last 18 months, Cristiano Ronaldo still seems untouchable for Portugal, and the strange dynamics of the Portugal dressing room ahead of their Euro 2024 quarter final against France.
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[@BOABModels]

The commentator in the Slovenia game said 'If Portugal don't let Ronaldo take the free kicks, he'll pick up the ball and go home!'

[@nont18411]

I still hope he bounce back and perform good again

[@eggfriedreus793]

@@nont18411 he won’t, he’s cooked

[@Spidersox1989]

@@nont18411 he's so finished and has been for 2 years

[@adithyansachu3588]

😂

[@michaelosgood9876]

😂😂😂

[@mujeebahmed7940]

Whose watching after Portugal are out of the euros? 😅

[@__YODA__]

I came here asap. 😄 Translated almost every Portugal media, and read comments where people were furious why the fuck Ronaldo was the one who shot all freekicks, when there was players like Silva & Bruno Fernandes... Now Portugal is free from Ronaldo. He should have quit after left Real Madrid... His legacy would have been MUCH better.

[@faishalafif1881]

​@@__YODA__ sadly Portugal isn't free yet from Ronaldo, he still wants to play in 2026 WC and Martinez seems too afraid to drop him from the squad. I feel sorry for this Portugal golden generation, they will end up as failure just like Belgium.

[@bmwmd110]

@@__YODA__ Ya sound like you desperately need a life. What have you done?

[@ezekielphiri2607]

​@@__YODA__PEAK HATE WATCHING😂😂😂😂

[@ezekielphiri2607]

​@@bmwmd110real😂

[@chrishorton4929]

Side note, Pepe has been outstanding in the Euros, despite being 74 years old

[@kennywilkinson913]

He was 102 last week. The way Thuram done him for pace on the wing and instead of going down he just cut the corner of the ring off like an old boxer and caught back up with was something to behold. 😂

[@kennywilkinson913]

Why they call him Willie Pepe

[@OxtonSWA]

The guy is finished but his ego is that enormous it won’t let him admit it. They could have won tonight against the French if they did not have a sulking passenger on the pitch.

[@kingkhaya1115]

Exactly 👏🏽

[@manuell09645]

@@OxtonSWA How exactly could they have won? Would leao and bernardo have learnt how to cross a ball? Would Bruno decide to stop instantly losing the ball like its a grenade?

[@Nathan_Virica_Comedy]

Ronaldo is like the real life version of Dorian Gray. At least in the sense that you just know he has a massive portrait of himself somewhere in his house.

[@L4wr3nc3810]

Lmaoo

[@Payn333]

Perfect comment on the situation

[@blackconduit_fpv7099]

I think how Ronaldo is currently playing, he should be coming of the bench with 20-25 mins of play time. I think he would be more affective and likely to score being fresh against tired defenders.

[@blackoutamvs6550]

I 100% agree

[@feodiente9460]

​@@blackoutamvs6550same here..

[@blackmercury956]

You're spot on, they did that against morroco guess what happens when morroco where 1-0 up and decided to defend for the remaining 45. And who you want to bench ronaldo with Goncalo ramost that can't even start over Kolo Muani at PSG? Joao felix that lost his place to a 16 Lamine Yamal?? Diogo jota out of postition ??? Or should we start bruno at the number 9

[@Krispy21]

You want goncalo ramos to lead attack? Yeah i dont think ronaldo is coming off. He also brings the leadership of a captian and experience of a veteran. If they do that then there will be a repeat of morocco 2022.

[@saifulhossainrahat3281]

​@@blackmercury956that's the pill they can't swallow. I've watched almost every Portugal games they look hungry to attack when Ronaldo plays.

[@ZincMaster]

This aged perfectly Portugal are out 06.07.24

[@alpha_2_agonist]

07-06-2024

[@Dartagnan88]

This makes Kroos‘ decision look like one of the greatest exits from the big stage

[@sadLeshrac]

it necessarily does ​@@BruceLee1.0

[@theth0mazz]

@@BruceLee1.0Cry

[@BruceLee1.0]

@@theth0mazz why would I cry you helmet. Kroos is out penaldo is out..pessi has been horrible. You should cry.

[@milagomez55]

@@BruceLee1.0messi has the most chances created in the copa america while carrying an injury you never even played varsity soccer

[@BruceLee1.0]

@@milagomez55 and how many goals did he scored LMAO. Pessi and penaldo have been horrible. They are literally a passenger for their team not contributing anything. They should retire and BDW stop meatriding

[@user-nu7on8ob4m]

This is what happens to athletes who don't know when to call it quits. The last memory fans have of your career isn't you at your best, but at your worst.

[@bababababababa6124]

He’s taking a big risk, he’s gunning for that last major trophy before he calls it quits but the more he plays like utter trash the more tainted his legacy will be

[@Ese96Agoaye]

​@@bababababababa6124From what you've commented, I've taken that as he's turning into the player version of Arsene Wenger.

[@somethinglikethat2176]

Michael Jordan. What jersey are you picturing him in? It's a Bulls one right? You remember him in a Washington one? Maybe, but it's almost certainly not your first thought. Unless you do something really bad or act like a total child (which admittedly Ronaldo is doing a great impersonation of) you mostly going to remember the highs.

[@Ese96Agoaye]

@@somethinglikethat2176 Remember the time Ronaldo stormed off the pitch and threw his armband to the ground?

[@user-nu7on8ob4m]

@@somethinglikethat2176 MJ came out of retirement to play for a lousy team that was going nowhere. Nobody expected much from him or the Wizards, and that’s exactly what they got. Portugal, on the other hand, have the talent to win the Euros, and Ronaldo is holding them back. He’s played for donkeys years, he’s won Euro 2016, yet the selfish prick would rather die than let younger players shine. He could easily be the experienced vet, coming off the bench in limited minutes, but no, the egomaniac HAS to start.

[@RachelTurner81]

Aged like a fine wine

[@RogerVanDamme5]

He seemed okay in the group stage, but the Slovenia game was just frustrating. The fact he was just taking every free kick, including shooting from a stupid angle on the far left.

[@eggfriedreus793]

Reeked of desperation

[@LucasZhang-ge6bo]

Yeah I agree I think he’s just infuriated that he still hasn’t scored. He can’t accept that he is far past his prime

[@nont18411]

I would love to see Bernardo Silva take free kicks from now on

[@FilJR99]

@@nont18411Bruno Fernandes, Cancelo and Vitinha are perfectly capable of taking free-kicks.

[@nont18411]

@@FilJR99 Still, none of them would dare to ask him. Even the coach won’t dare to ask him because he knows what happened with Santos and Ten Hag. How much harassment that those two got (and are still getting).

[@CheekandBluster]

2ND NARRATOR: Ronaldo did not score a winner against France-either to spite Alfie, or for any other reason.

[@ninanano]

Portugal fans ≠ Portuguese people. We’re often mischaracterized, our grievances with Ronaldo are old by now. The criticism started while he was still playing for Real Madrid, that he only delivered while playing for club and rarely for country. Euro 2016 was exhausting to watch and it was shocking to everyone that we even won it. Nobody expected to win it. I had to convince my friends to watch the final until the end because everyone wanted to leave before the match ended, it’s hard to support Portugal because they don’t deliver consistently despite how good the squad is. They get our hopes up just to crash them. I made an experiment at work one day and asked my coworkers if they liked Ronaldo. Nobody said yes 😭 Sure, he’s “given” us a lot, but you need to learn when to say goodbye. As a Catholic country, it’s very hard for Portuguese people to be honest and admit he’s past his prime, because we need to be “thankful”. A meteor might strike the country if we’re not “thankful for everything he’s done”, I guess. And we need to thank him by allowing him to start every game and further ruin his legacy. There’s a difference between Portuguese people in Portugal and emigrants outside the country. Being away from home, it’s only normal that they would latch onto national symbols, like Ronaldo, and idolize him. I live here and I don’t feel the need to constantly be patriotic. But if I travel abroad and say I’m from Portugal, people might mention Ronaldo’s name. Immigrants feel a sense of pride. It’s only natural that you’d find plenty of Ronaldo fans at a game abroad, not saying you wouldn’t find them here in Portugal, but you’d notice the difference. And of course, there’s the people who are simply fans of Ronaldo, 0 relation to Portugal, that sometimes end up being more vocal than us. They disguise themselves as Portuguese people on social media, and they’re often the ones in the comments of the national team’s social media. There’s a lot of friction between us and his fans and a lot of us are counting the days until he retires so they can stop pretending they care about our national team. It’s impossible to criticize Portugal’s performances, as one naturally does about their own country, without a gang of them showing up to h*rass you (I’m sure you’re experiencing that after this video). Sometimes it feels like the national team is being taken away from us, we’re robbed of the simple right of criticizing them just like everyone does every time these tournaments come up.

[@jamesduffy7549]

Is there actually any rivalry between yourselves and Argentina? Because I often see one being forced by the ronaldo fans. It seems to me you can't mention portugal without "BUT PESSI CARRIED TAP IN WC RIGGED"

[@thebigbosses3138]

@@jamesduffy7549 No, man. That's something Ronaldo fans do. I think, at least for me, our greatest rival is Spain.

[@fryhyh]

Alfie really said Portugal was closer to elimination than England when England was 1 minute away from going out😂

[@bazingacurta2567]

30 seconds*

[@6klippa894]

I smell bias when he compared Portugal to England.

[@Sebastianrdz41]

​@@6klippa894 ofc he's English

[@Kaigu_b.f.2508]

Still salty over 2004 and 2006 probably

[@SometimesCompitent]

Because they were closer to going out…

[@mattanderson8575]

He was completely invisible against France tonight as well, it was like Portugal were playing with 10 men and a space heater in the box

[@manuell09645]

It was like his teammates can't cross a ball and have awful decision making in the final 3rd, oh wait.

[@David-qq9bk]

@@manuell09645 it’s almost as if the striker should be involved in the teams play instead of being a statue waiting to be served

[@manuell09645]

@@David-qq9bk I've heard it all with you guys, "ronaldo drops too deep to get touches" "ronaldo is a statue up top" there's 9 other outfield players but if you say anything them you're "because ronaldo's washed"

[@husseinmusselmani8339]

I really don't understand this animosity towards Ronaldo. Portugal as a whole were lackluster and lacking in combination play

[@ReinaldoKyesse]

​@@manuell09645 Ronaldo drops too deep ? Who said that ?

[@tiago2297]

it’s very sad that we’re wasting away a golden generation just to appease a 39 year old man child 😂😂

[@kingkhaya1115]

😅😮😂😂😂😂

[@manuell09645]

He wasted his whole career dragging dead weight into tournaments you fool

[@crazygamingyt7245]

@@manuell09645fr his prime years in Portugal were wasted by trash players like nani and coaches that didn’t know what they’re doing

[@krishankaushal8422]

0:41 saying Portugal were closer to being knocked out when we were literally 30 seconds away from being out is a bit of a stretch Alfie

[@tomasmateus17]

Thank you, finally someone...we didnt trail a single minute

[@SometimesCompitent]

No it’s not. It’s objectively true.

[@anjolatope-babalola2338]

Do you know the meaning of objectively ​@@SometimesCompitent

[@Lucaz99]

@@SometimesCompitentI think you meant to say “technically”

[@robfortune6]

I think he meant that England only needed less than a minute of extra time to take the lead before seeing the game out quite comfortably while Portugal needed a penalty shootout and Sesko missing an easy chance in extra time to progress, it is funny that he completely disregarded the fact that England barely made it to extra time in the first place instead of getting knocked out after the original 90 minutes though

[@spiffy2514]

Ronaldo is wiping away his legacy every time he continues to step on the field Already ruined it at Manchester United and Portugal… what’s left?

[@nicolasdressler9793]

Completely tainted his United career forever. Why he couldn’t just ride the rest of his contract out for a few more months and leave like a professional is beyond me. Only good thing about him doing his interview with papa piers Morgan was him calling the glazers out. Everything else was completely out of line. Also find it funny how he said in like 2018 he’d never go to a Saudi or Qatari club to finish his career lol

[@extraacc9170]

"Leave the Football before the Football leaves you" Jamie Carragher

[@kennywilkinson913]

It's amazing he ever arrived then really.

[@seandelap8587]

His ego simply won't allow him to be benched

[@kevinsmoon3257]

I agree but that’s the thing. They should put his feelings to the side and bench him regardless of how he feels. The manager is there to make the team play at their best not appease Ronaldo

[@stretfordendred]

Are you one of the people that claim he is holding this brilliant team back? What happened when he got benched against Morocco? And what has Ramos done to deserve a place in the team?

[@Spidersox1989]

@stretfordendred you remember when he got benched by Ramos for one game and Ramos immediately scored a hattrick. Even then, when Pendu came on in the Morroco game why did they not immediately win?

[@power279]

@@stretfordendred no papa perez to save penaldo

[@raynamie6861]

@@Spidersox1989 dont you also remember when ramos started ahead of ronaldo agianst morroco and they lost

[@le0fonzagoric164]

Hate this egomaniac type of players. Can no longer sprint, jump, dribble. Pressing was under divas level his whole life. But demands every ball, sometimes angry if someone else scores than him.

[@AdrielSilva-T]

In the last two major tournaments man has 1 goal in 9 games 😅 Clearly holding back a team with a lot of potential

[@captainfalconmain6576]

1 goal is pretty bad 😂😂

[@Marquinhos1901]

literally cost them yesterday against France. Ronaldo played 120 minutes + penalties didnt offer anything.

[@hectorpuente3040]

120 was crazy! I understand letting him play but at a certain point swapping him out is the best move for him and his career.

[@Marquinhos1901]

@@hectorpuente3040 he was literally the invisible man. Only remembered he was there when the camera would show him lol

[@nont18411]

This video shows that Roberto Martinez really knows how to fail upward. He knows what will happen to him if he chose Santos/Ten Hag approach Also this part 8:54 is so evil😂

[@scribble71277]

8:56 “He is a man who never takes no for an answer”🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@manuell09645]

What happened to ten hag? And santos is not a good manager, its ronaldo who saved him dozens of times

[@ninanano]

Although I agree that Martinez has a lot of blame here, as he’s known for sabotaging good teams, and seems to be doing it again, the biggest saboteur here seems to be Ronaldo. He’s the biggest liability to his own team right now. Us Portuguese people are already incredibly annoyed by Martinez, we call him an ego manager instead of a coach, but he’s already proven he can play good football when the attack doesn’t include Ronaldo.

[@tricky1506]

@@manuell09645 0 goals from open play in the last 2 tournaments ...

[@adriansmith4536]

Someone tell Ronaldo that Stanley Mathews won the Ballon d'Or at age 47 Euro 2032 here he comes!

[@ROBERTITO1724]

😂😂😂

[@mdma2078]

He was actually 41 🤓

[@mrseeksme3232]

I think its pretty unfair to goncalo ramos to say he had 14 goals in 40 appearences when you consider the fact that for most of those appearences he came on late. Compared to the minutes he actually played this season, his tally of 14 is actually pretty impressive

[@zerus4435]

Ah yes the PSG failure ramos lmao😂😂.

[@gefelipeking563]

@@zerus4435 Ramos in International Knockouts: Hattrick Ronaldo in International Knockouts: 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 missed penalty, 1 OG Assist, 99 failed free kicks 🥴

[@Gfresh844]

@@zerus4435 How is he a failure? He's only been there a season and is just 22. He's also scored 14 goals, while not starting a huge amount of games. Obviously it's only fair to reserve judgement until he's had a full season as a regular starter, especially as he's still young. CR fans have been so bitter since his hattrick at the world cup.

[@dvdv8197]

He's standing in solidarity with Lukaku. 😊

[@user-kq2rz1hy8o]

CR7 fans may be brainless but they are fierce

[@AndySomething]

Portugal out now. I don't see him being at the World Cup.

[@marcolomeli2605]

He shouldn’t be but because of his name and ego they’ll call him up and play him even if he doesn’t score

[@heijimikata7181]

@@marcolomeli2605 I think it’s because of the profits playing him is going to bring to the table.

[@marcolomeli2605]

@@heijimikata7181 true but at the same time if Portugal want to take advantage of this golden generation they have they need to move on from Ronaldo he’s holding them back from all playing on the same page

[@nickkausch1107]

the Ronaldo sycophants are going to hunt you down, Alf

[@IconicBot]

Ronaldo is still playing cuz Messi won the World Cup other wise he would of retired 2 years ago

[@nicolassalamanca8051]

I can already hear the Ronaldo fan boys sending death threats

[@RPedro44]

Foreign people need to understand that most Portuguese people above the age of 15 and that follow football don't want Ronaldo on the team. Or at least not as a starter and playing every minute. He only does it because of the power he has within the portuguese federation, the money he generates to the federation and the side payments everybody involved gets paid. Supporters don't get paid and only thing they get is to see their team being crap when they should be one of the top teams. Also, the global Media is one the reasons he is still there because he creates stories and revenue to media worlwide. Why would the German TV broadcast that sends the video worldwide have one dedicated camera to follow Ronaldo from the moment he leaves the tunnel until he enters again? Just an example...

[@heijimikata7181]

It’s true. Every FA/FF wants money and as long as he’s still fit, the Portuguese Football Federation is gonna take him for profits again.

[@duarte48afonso]

Ronaldo simply isn't Portugal's biggest issue. As you said near the end, it's not like the alternatives are that much better. Ronaldo should play, however playing full time every game is questionable. Imo he shouldn't start, and be subbed in later on in case the game goes to penalties. The biggest issue with Portugal is similar to what spain had in 2022: Meaningless possession. We are playing slow buildup, but when we get into the final third the opponent is already well settled in the box and finding spaces is really hard. The solution is obviously to use the wingers to find space and cross it in the box. However, Leão hasn't played well at all, getting more yellows for diving than good chances, and Bernardo Silva simply can't play in the wing, at least in this system. Ronaldo simply isn't the same as he used to be aswell. Back then you could cross into a box with 4 defenders and Ronaldo would find a way to score. Now you can't cross into a box where he and maybe bruno fernandes are in the middle of 1.9m tall CBs and expect a goal. If slow buildup isn't working, maybe fast transitions could be the solution, but our team is not built for it, and most times we try it either ronaldo is offside or the wingers just give up halfway and pass it sideways or to the back. If you notice, the goal vs Czechia comes from getting in Pedro Neto, a winger that actually dribbled, created space, and crossed correctly, and the last goal vs Turkey comes from a fast ball recovery and transition that left Ronaldo and Fernandes alone in a counter attack. Our best chances came when the main attacking tactic or the theoretical best 11 weren't being used

[@ninanano]

You’re thinking about this individually but that doesn’t matter. It’s true that the options aren’t as good as Ronaldo was and when he was their age but if you’ve been watching the competition alone you’d know chemistry beats all of that. The Georgia team is significantly lacking when compared to Portugal and they still did it. Why? Because they wanted it more, and because they know how to work with each other on the team. Ronaldo is on a different wavelength than the rest of the team, as well as different form, no matter how much he works out and how strict his diet is. He lacks the athleticism, endurance and good timing he once had. The team is working hard all the way from the back and the front wastes all the opportunities.

[@exmsenhorbataguas6411]

That is the general opinion on Portugal, i garantee you. That he is playing for records and for himself, and he is bigger then the national team and is disregarding its health in favour of himself

[@exmsenhorbataguas6411]

He takes every direct free kick, every penalty and it is very annoying has he sucks and has sucked at them for a while

[@rz7909]

Don’t worry pal, ya all will have plenty of time in irrelevancy once cristiano it’s gone.

[@maciejbala477]

@@rz7909 lol, please. Portugal have one of the best squads in the Euros with or without Ronaldo.

[@exmsenhorbataguas6411]

@@rz7909 he is our best player in history, but he isnt good enough now, he would have a hard time starting in Bosnia, why would Portugal start him? Get off his dick bro you are not even portuguese

[@rz7909]

@@maciejbala477 overrated squad with only good ones bien vitinha, Silva and leao while everyone else can’t start for their teams to save their life, Felix it’s just a failure, cancelo can’t stop messing up for Barca, Ramos sucks as a forward, ask psg, Bruno at United just lol.

[@MartimPereira8]

Roberto Martinez was only hired to keep Ronaldo happy and not bench him. Fernando santos did a terrible job since 2019 but was only sacked for benching him

[@maciejbala477]

that's how it comes off, doesn't it? On paper I still thought Martinez's appointment made sense, but now it definitely looks like it's all because of Ronaldo.

[@gurrrn1102]

Yeah Martinez came on in the huddle to do the Phil brown to all the Portugal players except Ronaldo and Pepe who were just sitting down in the middle of the

[@matthewhernandez8342]

Yeah

[@thaneswarbaro4318]

5 game 0 goal 0 assist 😂😂😂😂

[@user-lg7lx7wp5t]

1 assist

[@natoslayer2907]

Ronaldo is old and an average striker now. He's like the old Luis Figo. Portugal's problem is the rest of their striker options are also bang average. Its not like they have a Haaland on the bench. Jota is not a #9 he's best as a super sub high intensity inverted winger. Portugal's attack is overrated. A lot of them are products of their club's systems. So they stick with their experienced talisman and hope he shows moments of brilliance from his past. I do think it would he a good idea to sometimes start Jota and sub Ronaldo on or visa versa. But people act like Ronaldo is a problem when the real problem is how conservative Portugal's attacking moves are in favor of having possession. Do you think Ronaldo is choosing to just stand in the box while his teammates pass the ball around for 5 minutes just to give it to Leao to put in a low percentage cross? No, he would much rather move with more freedom like he does at Al Nassr, but he is following his coaches instructions to be the poacher in the box at all times. At Al Nassr, Ronaldo drifts wide, drops into half spaces and soft zones to receive the ball and go forward, runs in behind the defense... but he does very little of that for Portugal because of the slow suffocating possession system. Martinez's system is flawed because it is not bold enough. It was flawed for Belgium and is flawed for Portugal. He needs to give his players more freedom. Even Spain are going away from pointless rigid possession tactics and it is yielding results.

[@sandipansaha1296]

Finally a reply that made total sense

[@heijimikata7181]

Crazy that Al Nassr utilized Ronaldo better than Roberto Martinez.

[@JotaFilip]

Ronaldo even stated that he wouldnt mind starting on the bench, he just wants to help the team in anyway he could. These stories is just people seeing in him what they want to see. Every time there is so much speculation, that pressures the team so much, and this year they added Felix to the mix... I don't understand how in a team tournament a single person can be the reason for a team to fail...

[@pedrozapata7008]

In the game vs slovenia i saw something i had never seen in a Major tournament knockout game: the entire portugal team cared more about gifting ronaldo his goal, to break that scoring record, rather than trying to win. It was mindboggling.

[@zerus4435]

He still has the record, pessi fan.😂😂

[@pedrozapata7008]

@@zerus4435 lol I'm a real Madrid fan. I'm too old to think in Messi Vs Ronaldo terms. That kind of thinking is for 10 year olds. Now put your phone away and go back to sleep.

[@zerus4435]

@@pedrozapata7008 Madrid fan. Nice joke.

[@pedrozapata7008]

@@zerus4435 ah tu no te crees que soy del Madrid? Vale, suit yourself. Mr zero4435. 🤣 You do realise a Madrid fan can be critical of Ronaldo right? A grown up real Madrid fan that is. Obviously a child like you struggles with the concept of objectivity.

[@zerus4435]

@@pedrozapata7008 CR7 is bigger than Madrid.

[@saar144]

Aaaaand, he’s out.

[@joegannon4212]

Nah he didn’t say Ronaldo has never been a man to take no for an answer 😭

[@jp27fcp]

Because if he's benched, the manager will get fired. Santos found that out in Qatar

[@nont18411]

Santos got zero credits for winning Euro and Nations League for Portugal somehow.

[@morkusyambo8683]

💯

[@Prod.Dizzy0nz]

Santos is a fraud that's why he got sacked

[@jp27fcp]

​@@Prod.Dizzy0nzhe had been a fraud for 8 years. Only got fired when Ronaldo got mad at him. I'm Portuguese and a Porto fan. Believe me I know how bad Fernando Santos is

[@morkusyambo8683]

@Prod.Dizzy0nz I don't know if Santos was the best choice, but prior to the Nuno injury and Ronaldos hissy fit, they were playing extremely well. I think they could have made the final and possibly won if not for that.

[@masumpervez9726]

You have made a video questioning Ronaldo? What have you done?? His fan boys are coming for you

[@casualprogamer7611]

Already see lots of deluded comments from them in the comments section - either in complete denial, deflect attention by attacking Messi or England 🤣🤣

[@masumpervez9726]

@@casualprogamer7611 not surprised at all.

[@lkrnpk]

to be fair, Argentina just won on penalties too and Messi did not score his

[@917nyc]

@@lkrnpkfair? dont bother bro 😅😂

[@lkrnpk]

@@917nyc well I definitely think Messi is better than Ronaldo at this moment but tournament is not over, a lot of things can happen still, he may score today and Portugal is through to semis

[@icofu9016]

He’s just another case of an elite athlete that doesn’t know when to call it quits. In the end, ‘Father Time’ is undefeated. And CR7 should NOT have been starting in the Euros. And he shouldn’t even be considered for the 2026 WC either.

[@Sluetch90]

Because the 39 year old manchild literally cries if they don’t start him!

[@ArturVader]

He does that even when they start him. (Example last game)

[@Sluetch90]

@@ArturVader That was my point. The bloke is a manchild , as I said.

[@millienoble3482]

Since 2014 he’s only scored about 3% of the HUNDREDS of freekicks he has taken. A dreadful conversion rate by any standard. But he insists on taking every single one. Because he values his own personal glory above the teams.

[@Sluetch90]

@@millienoble3482 Egomaniac

[@artonio5887]

It really isn't a big deal that he cried. Bro also cried in 2016 when he was injured in the final, also before the match ended. He has always gotten sentimental when he feels like he's failed his own expectations in an important game. It's literally nothing new, but these days no matter what he does people will always find some way to dunk on him 🤷‍♂. It's completely fair to criticize the guy, but the media has been dunking on him like crazy ever since the man united thing, literal conspiracy shit. Like everyone watching this assuming that he's some big bully to the trainer and his team despite there being no real evidence for it. Literally everyone denies it at interviews, but no no, they must all be lying, it's all a big conspiracy, come on... The debate on whether there are better options than Ronaldo at the front isn't even that clear, Ramos and Jota aren't necessarily better options than Ronaldo not only because of their current circumstances, but also because outside of pure atheleticism, Ronaldo is probably still better than both of them.

[@aresgalamatis7022]

Without CR7, Portugal could have won a couple of world cups and 2-3 more euros in the last 2 decades. The only time they won, Portugal was lucky that he was injured, otherwise, they would lose that one too.

[@dontletherspeak7575]

He's a cancer, a cancer that has been weakening its host (portugal) for a decade now. I can only imagine what we could have done these last three tournaments without that tumour on our spine.

[@AayanKhan-ts1vk]

Nah that is just ridiculous bro , don't blind hate

[@alphagamer9505]

No we couldnt,now thats fucking delusion Without CR7 we probably would have won against France and play Spain in the SF

[@RR_theproahole]

Couple of world cups?? No.

[@ezekielphiri2607]

They couldn't even qualify for WC without him, RESEARCH BEFORE TYPING😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@mikeavina168]

9:00 allegedly 😂

[@spidermarcel]

I listened to this video in background and totally missed that joke 🤣😂

[@Evemeister12]

Nothing wrong in keeping ronaldo in the first team if he's not so determined to be the talisman/leader. But he'll struggle to put his conceit to one side, so the team will carry on dragging him or just crash and burn eventually.

[@martinzissou11]

How is Martinez getting these jobs? I wouldnt be surprised if he was hired as England manager

[@ezekielphiri2607]

3rd place in the WC 2018.

[@ManAtWar_8895]

Narendra Modi. 😂 Good one there

[@ashketchum2615]

thankfully indians are finally seeing him for the clown he really is

[@grinchoi1]

I missed that.. what did he say?

[@maciejbala477]

@@grinchoi1 that he's one of the 3 people you're not allowed to criticize on the internet, alongside Ronaldo and Taylor Swift. Which tbh is a good joke because i definitely saw Indians fanatically defending him before lol

[@MegrelMamba]

​@maciejbala477 Honestly add Obama to that list, too. Between 2008-2017, even criticizing that dude made you a target of Americans.

[@ashketchum2615]

@@MegrelMamba lol what r u talking about, half of america hated Obama hence why his party lost the next election

[@David-om8rr]

And they just got eliminated thanks penaldo

[@youcef4593]

Tripping, blame Felix for missing the penalty

[@dr.strangelove4665]

@@youcef4593 tripping is what ronaldo has done in the box the whole EUROs 🤣

[@that3401]

​​@@youcef4593 Ronaldo literally missed a tapin and u blame felix😂😅

[@S_ppy]

Too soon mate🥲

[@dmdm597]

I'm a portuguese and I do love Ronaldo, he helped the national team so much over the years and we're all so grateful for it, but, I'm not a blind fan and I can see that right now he's hurting the team more than helping. I did like seeing him play in the first 2 games of the euros, it didn't look like he was trying to make everything around himself, he was crossing, passing and playing with his teammates (most of the time) but everything changed in the Georgia game and the last game against Slovenia Ronaldo and the portuguese team went back to their old self. The thing is that we weren't playing like this during the qualifying games, we were playing much more fluid football, dominating possession and working the ball into the box, basically playing to the strengths of the portuguese squad and I even argue that Bruno was our best player during that time despite Ronaldo scoring 10 goals. But then after qualifying and playing those friendlies and preparation games it seemed like the whole game plan changed and looked like Santos was back coaching the team, we started to lose games and basically our game became once again playing for Ronaldo and the result is what is happening right now in the euros. I do believe that he can still be useful but the portuguese federation, Ronaldo and Martinez need to realize that he is not going to be the same and we can't play for him like we used to in the past.

[@ninjalectualx]

Why do you love someone who abuses women?

[@rz7909]

😂do not worry, you will have plenty of time once he is gone, specially that no one will ever talk about Portugal ever again, so enjoy it while it last because irrelevancia it’s coming sooner than you all think.

[@dmdm597]

@@rz7909 and that's a bad thing why? I much prefer that we have a good team that no one will talk about than having to constantly see the media talking about Ronaldo and his child fanbase making wars on social media. One of the best things that will happen after he retires is that his fanbase is going with him, they are not fans of the portuguese national team only Ronaldo fans.

[@franze4]

@@rz7909it’s crazy how ronaldo fans actually argue with portuguese people (previously with Man Utd fans) over their own team when they’re saying the objective truth😂especially you. it’s stupidly insane how entitled you lot have become. easily the most r3✝️@rd€d fanbase ever, jesus.

[@ninanano]

@@rz7909 who the hell cares that “no one will talk about us”? Only you idiots who guide yourselves by useless records and big numbers care about that. We want to ENJOY our national team ourselves, we don’t care if you enjoy it or not. It’s for US, not for YOU. I’d trade irrelevancy for a successful team with good leadership and chemistry on the pitch any day of the week.

[@RyuzakiTaiyou]

Best German players in the premier league of all time. (Day 653) I will not give up until the video is made or Alfie himself tells me to stop. Everyone else telling me that will be ignored. If you don't believe my number, just go back to the previous videos. I'm at the bottom most of the time, but I'm there.

[@hwaryun7042]

almost 2 years? Damn your persistant

[@thomasfandrade]

The idea isn't very interesting though

[@Caroban]

damn

[@wolfmauler]

​@@thomasfandrade It's quite an easy list really 🤔

[@wolfmauler]

​@@hwaryun7042It's just annoying that he never comments on the video at hand. The occasional show of appreciation might make one more sympathetic to his unrelenting demands 😂

[@ragecandy]

Anyone that watched that Man Utd-Omonoia game knew it was over, but Cristiano fans don't actually watch football

[@tm_yt496]

Facts

[@Daniboi971]

They literally don't do they. They have absolutely no idea how football actually works

[@RafaelSantos-di5yw]

and why is Man U Omonoia supposed to be relevant to the portuguese that see every Portugal game?

[@ragecandy]

@@RafaelSantos-di5yw cause utd had like 35 shots most from him and he couldn't get it in, then got benched and went on Piers Morgan to cry about it

[@RafaelSantos-di5yw]

@@ragecandy again, nothing to do with Portugal! It's why McTominay is a super sub for Utd but major player for Scotland and why Vini is best player itw at Madrid but a scrub for Brazil

[@Finn_Lawless]

CRy7 and his narcissism cost Portugal victory over France. Not even his most devoted fanboys can deny that he must limit his unwavering pursuit of personal accolades to the Saudi farmers league, stop presiding over the Portuguese national team, and allow other players their chance.

[@ninanano]

Yes!!

[@deborahluck539]

NO ONE NEEDS RONALDO 😅

[@Monatio79]

CR7 is "untouchable" because he is Portugal's poster child. Plain and simple. At 39, his move to a Saudi team is understandable; guy wants to slowly transition into retirement. Fun fact, Japan's "King Kazu" Miura is 57 and still playing as a professional footballer, albeit at a reduced capacity for obvious reasons. Perhaps Ronaldo can take some inspiration from him with regards to his future career.

[@djviracaxolas]

He can buy his own club and play till he is 100, i dont care, what he must do is retire from the national team asap

[@yourmum955]

Miura isn't trying to hog the limelight.

[@khalxd1991]

Ronaldo definitely doesn’t want to retire he went to Saudi cos if ego no other reason he wanted money for ego

[@maciejbala477]

nah, the move to Saudi was not because of retirement. He pretty much said at Man Utd that he doesn't believe that no top club would want him and that everyone would still take him (clearly in denial). The Saudi move was just because he'd get nothing better, and he can still salvage his dignity by at least pointing to the paycheck being very generous. In truth he totally would have still tried to play at the top level, but had no offers. He doesn't actually want to accept he is slowing down. Otherwise he wouldn't still be starting at this age, at the very least he'd accept that he doesn't have to start every game anymore.

[@jag6696]

Yeah f him Messi is the goat as a madeirense I'm embarrassed and he can f off

[@RuiLuz]

When you have to play for one man, instead of playing as whole, what usually happens is that you get weaker when that same man is a shadow from his prime days. I like a team that plays as a unit, everyone attacks, everyone defends, everyone presses, everyone is free to show what they can do, not to simply limit themselves so just one single man can shine. Unfortunately Martinez suffers from "Sacred Cow Syndrome", instead of chasing "efficiency first" he is an old believer of "nostalgia first".

[@1972dsrai]

He’s ruining his legacy by not retiring. If you include the last wc its been a while since he’s performed for Portugal in a major tournament. Martinez wasn’t doing him or Portugal any favours keeping him against France.

[@AdityaVishweshwaran]

"He will never take no for an answer"- shows Ronaldo in las vegas

[@constablekennedy7705]

Greatness 😂😂😂

[@mishagelenava2962]

"Never taken no for an answer" 😭

[@emekaoguguo5023]

8:55 Possibly the most brutal reference Alfie has ever done Jesus !

[@stretfordendred]

Is there proof he did it? Embarrassing to put that in the video 😑

[@janinebarry2694]

I was sat there in shock then burst out laughing hahaha

[@jofa9495]

@@stretfordendred its well documented that he had to pay a lot of hush money for the case to go away. soooo yeah he did it

[@D.Rodrigues_18]

@@jofa9495actually the case recently got dismissed and she had to pay him money back for some reason so he’s now allowed back in the us

[@HarrisonJohn666]

Low blow. As it's well documented she's a gold digger.

[@ftwsam2246]

The reason he's starting is because he's Homelander 😂

[@Drunken_Master]

Playing in an amateur Saudi league would do that to a professional footballer.

[@markphc99]

it's a pro league , but still lousy

[@RafaelSantos-di5yw]

yet Kanté is France's best player

[@tricky1506]

​@@RafaelSantos-di5yware you high?😂😂😂😂he's been a glorified Sean Longstaff with worse passing range

[@RafaelSantos-di5yw]

@@tricky1506 pffft

[@NR-fd9wv]

@@markphc99 professional pay for amateur quality

[@joshlapper]

I get how unbelievably special Ronaldo is. And as you quite rightly said, he’s changed his game to suit his aging. He needs to accept that he isn’t as good as he once was, and that if he wants to reach those 250 games, that he simply needs to accept being an impact sub.

[@bene4577]

its crazy how far Portugal made it with playing 10 vs 11 every game

[@eren9001]

If i had to guess it's because of the Bulgarian mafia

[@zeo4481]

Oh god i wish we had any impact on this world, fortunately for us today is SUUUIII day!

[@fortheloveoffootball6850]

In my mind, teams with one clear key player tend to play around or for them; Argentina Portugal Egypt Poland Etc.

[@empiremusic2705]

Its only works if your key player can do everything like messi does

[@randomhooman3236]

when ronaldo plays the team becomes "ronaldocentric" every attack should be started by ronaldo, every finish should be done by ronaldo, every freekick and penalty should be taken by ronaldo madrid found this out way back in 2018 and although ronaldo wanted to stay at madrid they sold him to juve (there were some salary disagreements too but their tactics were literally pass to ronaldo) ronaldo is obviously one of the greatest players to ever grace the pitch but pushing himself at 39 when it's clear he is not fit for the highest level, there needs to be something done portugal have a golden generation coming out where they have 2 world class players (or potential world class players) on almost every position, ronaldo should be a leader figure for the team not the guy dictating them to pass him the ball

[@jabari7158]

Love me some Ronaldo but these are some horrid stats he’s put up these euros, old are not you have to do better as the starting striker in a top 7 nation, hopefully he bounces back

[@Dr.Yakub22]

He's turning 40 in 6 months lol. He's not gonna magically start performing like the Ronaldo of 2015.

[@yourmum955]

He won't bounce back. This is the gradual decline that is inevitable for everyone, I guess he's just postponed us noticing it by going to a piss easy league.

[@kojicna3720]

@@Dr.Yakub22that’s his point why are you still relying on a guy who turns 40 and hasn’t scored a knockout goal in a major tournament for Portugal since 2019 and thinking this is still prime Ronaldo

[@ninjalectualx]

Why do you love a rapist?

[@ninjalectualx]

Why do you love a rappist?

[@adfigo7963]

You're on point with all of your points. Martinez is gutless and incompetent and ronaldo's ego holds their play back even more.

[@Postmanton]

Funny how so many of these comments you can tell are from people who did not watch past 2 minutes on this video.

[@cesarzambrano7742]

I saw this with their first game against the Czech Republic, it was like all of Portugal, but Ronaldo were cycling passes and runs but whenever they got to the final third they were always missing creativity to break down the defense. He played all right but the philosophy was solely meant to feed Ronaldo which was wrong. Hopefully, they learn for the upcoming World Cup, Ronaldo might even be a World Champion if he is fully dedicated to meeting the needs of the team and not just his own glory.

[@josuebarboza9809]

Too old Too slow

[@navigatewithme4829]

Who’s here after Ronaldo crashed out of the euros, reading all the comments about how he’s going to dominate France?😂

[@Diegbone]

Purely cause of respect for Ronaldo. If this was anyone else he would’ve been dropped before the first game

[@lourencopedro1]

I'm portuguese and not knowing when to retire is such a portuguese thing. People here stay in their positions until a breaking point, "quit while you're ahead" is a dirty expression around Portugal.

[@nont18411]

😮 That’s an interesting point. So it’s a cultural thing that Portuguese people love to overextend themselves.

[@FelipedaCosta-jn4pk]

Yep thats true. Im brazilian and they wouldnt quit exploring us

[@franciscohuerta9726]

@@FelipedaCosta-jn4pk 😂 this one. I'm happy I read all of the comments to find this one.

[@jogo4997]

@@FelipedaCosta-jn4pk Cara.. Para com isso. Já deu desse choro.

[@FelipedaCosta-jn4pk]

@@jogo4997eu falei brincando mosso rlxa

[@jakenikpreljevic3012]

Ronaldo one of the greatest of all time doesn’t score once at the euros and he’s being made fun of this is a joke

[@scribble71277]

Who’s here after Portugal lost to France, and Ronaldo missed another half-open goal?😂😂

[@lugerry]

Footballs left bro already 🗣💀💀

[@MarkoSegovic]

The disrespect..

[@Skoopyghost]

We aren't 25 forever. It's not disrespect to say Ronaldo's time is up.

[@enteraft]

@@MarkoSegovic It happen to anyones.

[@franze4]

@@MarkoSegovici’d argue it’s more disrespectful for ronaldo fans to insult portuguese people for saying the truth and for ronaldo to want to make the euros all about himself, but what do i know. he cried after missing a penalty more than he cried about getting eliminated, at least this time he wasn’t the one who missed it🤔

[@ezekielphiri2607]

If he cried again you all will call him a bab​😂😂😂

[@BALHAM69]

Videos for you to consider - what on earth is going on at inverness Caledonian thistle From third place and winning Scottish cup to Scottish league one You Haven’t had a Scottish team in this series so you might want to. - Clapton CFC A fan owned team and their story You do like a non league video at times for the viewers - the rise of bashundhara kings How they won last six Bangladesh premier League now - last suggestion would be your q and a video 😊

[@AJftwlol]

watching this version of CR7 is frustrating, I don't know how any Portugese fan can put up with this Ronaldo centric style of play anymore

[@abhi_abhie]

if ronaldo was a politician, he surely would be a brutal dictator. hope he doesn’t take politics after retirement, if he ever does retire

[@zeo4481]

He ain't starting no more. 😂 Suuiiii....sorry ...Suuuuiii.. sorry.....Suuuuiii...sorry ...Suuuiiii...sorry..SUUUUUUIIIII

[@nme232]

Hehe France just knocked out Portugal after this video

[@brendanholohan7237]

As his time in Vegas showed, Ronaldo simply does not take no for answer.

[@evanclp514]

people act like Ronaldo is picking the team. Martinez is the one starting him and not subbing him out. the entire Portugal squad is not playing well. Leao, Bruno, & Bernardo haven't been scoring or producing anything either. Roberto Martinez is a shit manager who wasted Belgium's golden generation. how did he even get this job? i don't think Ramos starting instead of Ronaldo fixes the team's problems.

[@AayanKhan-ts1vk]

You bench ronaldo and you get sack that is how it is at Portugal .

[@mashi_rsa]

They are still waaaaaaaaay better than England lol

[@daniel15yearsago66]

No they aren't, Portugal have been worse.

[@Steriperis1312]

@@daniel15yearsago66 hahahahhahahahahahah

[@TobiasElmendorf]

He should have been dropped before Qatar 2022, we have known this. His performances In his last couple months in the premier league were absolutely horrific.

[@fynmerkyYTL8134L]

you're speaking crap😂at 37 he did better than most strikers and was in running for the golden boot. stop talking shit.

[@blueshky]

Lol. He's from Portugal, not Spain. You act like they have players who are way better than him. Haha. Ok.

[@TobiasElmendorf]

@@fynmerkyYTL8134L Did you watch Man U or him play during that time. It was genuinely some of the most shambolic performances ive ever seen, granted there was some brilliance but that all dropped away in the last couple months. He provided no pressing, no threat in behind, absolutely horrific team and general play, just like right now for Portugal.

[@themaninthetube1]

@@fynmerkyYTL8134L golden boot? He scored ones that season before leaving for al nassr. God why are Ronaldo fans delusional. Well Ronaldo's delusional. Really solid player before but now not anymore. Don't tell me just because he scored 54 last season on all comps does mean he's still good. He hasn't won anything significant after leaving Juventus. That should tell you something already

[@ddg0907]

He lost his child in the final months of Manchester, have some humanity. He also is the last Man U striker to score a Hat trick. Man U was shit, Ronaldo wasn’t.

[@pessiandpenaldomoments]

he sure didnt take no for an answer anytime in his career, especially in las vegas

[@stefan5730]

It wouldn't be an issue if he accepted a role as an impact sub. Which would be great for his age, he could do a lot against a tired defense in the last 20-30 minutes. But he doesn't want that.

[@DaleFCB10]

Watching this after Ronaldo dropped another stinker and Portugal were knocked out on penalties.

[@tdyerwestfield]

This will be Ronaldo's last tournament for sure, because the 2026 World Cup is in the USA. He's not allowed to enter the USA because of rape charges settled outside of court from 2009 in Las Vegas. One of the many reasons why I utterly despise the man. That's why Man Utd didn't have a pre-season in the US whilst he was at the club when they usually go there every 2 years.

[@RafaelSantos-di5yw]

yeah bro U$A is not going to lose money by not allowing Ronaldo to go if the Portugal manager wants him to, $omeone will find a way

[@lfc4269]

MISSTYANO PENALDO has 0 to offer to Portugal all he's bothered about is his own statistics..even the commentators said France beat Ronaldo tonight it's a 1 man team all about Ronaldo its embarrassing it's an international squad about there country and MISSTYANO PENALDO thinks it's all about him he has 0 to offer he's not the Ronaldo he used to be he needs to realise that he's done abso nothing all tournament

[@alexandremoreira7694]

being here after the france game is just frustating. We played the best mach of the last 10+ years. But we were playing with 10. I lost my voice because I spent the hole game screaming at the tv "Tira a merda do Ronaldo caralho". he was good, but not anymore.

[@funkstiu]

Look, i‘ve still got residual bias from being a hater, as i always thought Messi was far better than Ronaldo, to the point where i found and still find, that even the comparison is flattering for Ronaldo. But i will try to keep it objective: The guy is a Legend of the game and still very much useful at 39. In the group stage aswell as the qualifying games he was good to very good (even without scoring this turnament). While this particular game against slovenia was an absolute embarassment, in terms of performance aswell as general conduct, i don‘t think he necessarily has to be the problem, allthough he was for that match. Looking at the other games and those before the Euros, Portugal can work well with Ronaldo, just not if it‘s only for Ronaldo and that‘s what it felt like this round of 16. The countless bad crosses to the box just hoping for Ronaldo to get on it is bullshit. Same goes for him grabbing every freekick, bro was desparate. BUT: I still think Ronaldo can be and actually still is the better option than Ramos easily, if Portugal stop trying so hard to give him a goal. Absurdly, i think that this would actually make him more likely to score, while the rest of the (brilliant) team, can also get their moments aswell as more importanly their momentum. Edit: I think the best option would be to start Jota as a false 9 and when they need a goal later, take off Fernandes, Silva or Jota for Ronaldo.

[@collin8915]

What about Messi, he can't even score in the shootout?

[@Takkks]

Who cares about Messi? Wether he scores 0 or a 100 goals, that won't change how Ronaldo performs.

[@collin8915]

@@Takkks absolutely true, it just feels like disproportionate criticism on one of them, when the other when the other has been equally as ineffective in a comparable or maybe even better situation.

[@rajaeblackstock]

@@collin8915if you genuinely believe they have been equally ineffective you are blind. Messi plays and creates for his team while Ronaldo’s team plays and creates for him

[@gerardohuitron8724]

La misma pregunta se le debe hacer a Messi, porque su actuación ante Ecuador en la Copa América fue pésima e irrelevante, a tal grado que falló un penalti. Así pues, solo puedo concluir que los seguidores de Cristiano y Messi se niegan reconocer que su ídolos ya no juegan al más alto nivel y tampoco pertenecen a la elite del futbol debido a que el tiempo no pasa en vano; sin embargo, siempre tratarán de contradecir estos argumentos con recuerdos y apreciaciones subjetivas. Gracias al buen Alfie por este contenido.

[@alphatrece9208]

El problema es que los aficionados de los dos jugadores han llegado a tales de extremos de hasta casi convertirlos en dioses, que son incapaces de reconocerles un sólo defecto, es casi una religión para mucha gente y la crítica hacia alguno de ellos lo toman como una afrenta personal.

[@r4h4al]

I think Jota deserves to play more.

[@antoniolimpo]

He'll have a great game today. Tough 39, you can't let him do his play. If he is taken as slow or not capable, he'll celebrate goals. If he is on the field, defenders will get near him, making more space to other attackers. So for a last time, he'll deliver.

[@navigatewithme4829]

😂