Portugal at a crossroad: no bravery & uncomfortable conversations

Portugal went three consecutive matches without scoring a single goal at Euro 2024, and Cristiano Ronaldo stayed on the pitch for every minute of the tournament besides when he was subbed off versus Georgia. At the moment, it’s not known whether he is retiring from the national team. While it is time to build around different talents for Portugal, that doesn’t mean that Ronaldo should retire from the Portuguese national team.
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[@siiir1322]

The Havertz/Füllkrug model would be perfect for Ronaldo. Let Jota or Ramos start and sub Ronaldo on after 60 minutes or so when the opposition players are already a bit tired. Ronaldo having to play for 120 minutes makes a laughing stock out of him. But imagine you’re a defender that already ran for 60 minutes and then you have to compete for a header against CR7

[@thepowerofsand6180]

Exactly, you have play players to their strengths. Ronaldo doesn't have the energy to handle the high intensity but at the end of the game when people are more tired and people use more crosses Ronaldo excels

[@davidvo2318]

I love and respect Ronaldo, but I think everyone knows Ronaldo won't accept that role so best thing is to retire him for Portugal. Otherwise he tarnishes his legacy a bit

[@french_toast223]

Doesnt matter how many min he gets or doesnt get if leao is just passing to no one the whole game?

[@french_toast223]

@@thepowerofsand6180 Thats not the problem tho, leao was beating counde the entire game and didnt put single decent cross the entire game. Silva barely saw the ball since leao was hogging it up. Ronaldo shouldve dropped deeper maybe but you cant expect a target man to score if his teammates arent doing anything.

[@r3zaful]

sure how you even do it? how you even coach these players to play 2 different type of strikers at international tournaments, this type of switch only works on club level.

[@eduardoborges506]

ronaldo will not, and will NEVER accept being a bench player for portugal. He would rather quit. And that is the flaw in his character that was never a problem untill now, that he is no longer the player he once was.

[@JimTheFly]

This is how I feel too. He makes me think of an aging movie star who never could come to grips that things passed them by and they continue to think of themselves as the beautiful, adored , desired person of their youth... even though they're homebound and 80. Honestly, I'm a bit worried because it's felt like his life has been about football, football, more football, and then on days off? Planning things about football. But also ego. It feels like he *needs* to play, but he needs to be a star and he needs to play in a league that he feels is prestigious enough for his persona to be assuaged. But someday, possibly very soon, it's going to get to a point where this can't happen, and I think he's going to have an existential crisis when that actually happens.

[@ronald3836]

@@JimTheFly he makes me think of Joe Biden.

[@CryptoInsightsLab]

Then Martinez needs to have the balls to not nominate him. Nagelsman didn't bring Hummels to the Euro's for that exact reason. We need a coach that has the same kind of confidence.

[@paragjadhav3669]

​@@ronald3836😅

[@Ceabrus74]

Comparing ronaldo to Joe Biden is probably the worst insult I've ever seen directed at CR7. Holy shit, lol

[@brunoleite5817]

The role you describe for Ronaldo is a lot like the role Suarez has adopted for Uruguay. He's a mentor for all the new guys and specially for Darwin.

[@ngabacletus9677]

And he missed a sitter yesterday

[@ayoooo311]

​@ngabacletus9677 Ronaldo has missed twice the chances suarez has misses This isn't about the goals ,this is about taking a backseat for the new generation of portugal players

[@ngabacletus9677]

@@ayoooo311 there is clearly a media campaign against this guy, which some of you are participating in: first, he was officially mocked by FIFA at the 2022 the Best ceremony, added to the shameful mockery aimed at him by the BBC and finally, the horrible negative reporting against him instead of focusing on the strongly suspicious, repeatedly shocking refereeing decisions against him, including countless freekick fouls on him blatantly ignored, as well as a stonewall penalty foul against Georgia and another against France, all inexplicably ignored. As for the idea of stepping aside for the next generation, that is up to the coach to decide; if he is still the greatest goal scoring threat the team, which he clearly is (as evidenced by his ability to create several chances with smart movement and even his selfless assist to Fernandes, and the amount of fear he instills in defenders, causing them to foul him in the box twice, though shamefully ignored by the refs), then I don't see where the problem is.

[@ayoooo311]

@ngabacletus9677 that assist to Bruno is the only notable thing he did this campaign! I love the guy he is the 2nd best player of this generation no doubt but the fall of has been really drastic form him And the thing about coaches is that the media backlash will be astronomical if he is benched, the fans still believe that he is still that the peak level which he clearly isn't .he is just making his legacy worse by still thinking he is at his peak

[@Narcissus7]

Great video, you pretty much nailed it. We Portuguese people don’t want Ronaldo out of the team. We just need him to take a different role, the fact he’s played 5 full games without being subbed off is insane. Even Fernando Santos wasn’t making these types of mistakes. We’re doomed until the Euros 2028.

[@rswpt]

he should be benched, he is a shadow of his former self

[@ritoplsfixclient1667]

@@rswpt Bro blaming Ronaldo when world class players in their prime like Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva didn't show up.

[@rswpt]

@@ritoplsfixclient1667 of course i am not saying it was only his fault

[@hznmotorsport]

​@@ritoplsfixclient1667 Messi has won his 45th trophy. Bruno and Bernardo has no fault in this. Roberto Martinez is the one to be blame but for the long run, it is time for Cristiano Ronaldo to retire, move on. His teammates didn't even care about his antics on the touchline in 2016 Euro Final

[@jofa9495]

Im Portuguese and I wanted him out since the world cup. A lot of Portuguese feel the same because he's not a footballer anymore. He's a retired athlete living off his past laurels. A walking commercial brand. If we are to play him as a "debt of gratitude" then let's add Figo and Eder to the squad as well.

[@badasstasticusbadass4908]

I think is time for Ronaldo to have that... very uncomfortable conversation.

[@LittleJimmy_Says]

NEVER! the GOAT plays the next world cup if he so wishes...as a first team player.no bench!!😂

[@rizqirayyan6891]

⁠@@LittleJimmy_SaysWorst XI of WC 22, Worst XI of Euro 24, and now he’s going for a Hattrick of Worst XI in Three Major International Tournament in WC 26, now that’s the hardest record to beat🗿🍷

[@brianquishpe6820]

@@rizqirayyan6891pepsi 1 tap in Copa America 2024 gets injured and cried Pepsi ghosts 2016 2017 2018 2020 2021 2022 2023 Ucl ghosting 7 ucl years truly hardest record to beat

[@rizqirayyan6891]

@@brianquishpe6820 MAJOR Stats: 837>895 Goals in 160 less Games:🇦🇷 374>252 Assists in 160 less Games:🇦🇷 MOTM 314>168:🇦🇷 ================== BIG Trophies & Awards B’dor 8>5:🇦🇷 Golden boot 6>4:🇦🇷 Fifa Best 3=3:🏳️ UEFA POTY 20:🇦🇷 Puskas 034:🇦🇷 More Overall Individual Awards:🇦🇷 ========================== INTERNATIONAL Career: •Messi WC+Copa America Stats (65 Matches-27 Goals/26 Assists) (11 Goals/18 Assists in Knockouts) Olympic Gold:🇦🇷 Copa America 2x:🇦🇷 Finalissima:🇦🇷 World Cup🏆🇦🇷 WC Golden Ball 2x:🇦🇷 Copa America Mvp 2x:🇦🇷 Copa America Golden Boot:🇦🇷 Finalissima Mvp:🇦🇷 •Ronaldo WC+Euro Stats (53 Matches-22 Goals/9 Assists) (3 Goals/2 Assists in Knockouts) Euro:🇵🇹 Nations League:🇵🇹 Euro Golden Boot:🇵🇹 ====================== Source: MessivsRonaldo.app ====================== Stats says Messi☑️ Trophies says Messi☑️ Awards says Messi☑️ Most TOP Coaches says Messi☑️ (Pep, Klopp, Allegri, Cruyff, Luis Enrique, Simeone, Wenger, Arteta, Beckenbauer, Pochettino, Scaloni, Conte, Joachim Löw) Ronaldo👎🏼 (Ancelotti, Mou, Zidane, SAF) ALL of them are his former coach.

[@rizqirayyan6891]

@@brianquishpe6820 MAJOR Stats: 837>895 Goals in 160 less Games:🇦🇷 374>252 Assists in 160 less Games:🇦🇷 MOTM 314>168:🇦🇷 ================== BIG Trophies & Awards B’dor 8>5:🇦🇷 Golden boot 6>4:🇦🇷 Fifa Best 3=3:🏳️ UEFA POTY 20:🇦🇷 Puskas 034:🇦🇷 More Overall Individual Awards:🇦🇷 ========================== INTERNATIONAL Career: •Messi WC+Copa America Stats (65 Matches-27 Goals/26 Assists) (11 Goals/18 Assists in Knockouts) Olympic Gold:🇦🇷 Copa America 2x:🇦🇷 Finalissima:🇦🇷 World Cup🏆🇦🇷 WC Golden Ball 2x:🇦🇷 Copa America Mvp 2x:🇦🇷 Copa America Golden Boot:🇦🇷 Finalissima Mvp:🇦🇷 •Ronaldo WC+Euro Stats (53 Matches-22 Goals/9 Assists) (3 Goals/2 Assists in Knockouts) Euro:🇵🇹 Nations League:🇵🇹 Euro Golden Boot:🇵🇹 ====================== Source: MessivsRonaldo.app ====================== Stats says Messi☑️ Trophies says Messi☑️ Awards says Messi☑️ Most TOP Coaches says Messi☑️ (Pep, Klopp, Allegri, Cruyff, Luis Enrique, Simeone, Wenger, Arteta, Beckenbauer, Pochettino, Scaloni, Conte, Joachim Löw) Ronaldo👎🏼 (Ancelotti, Mou, Zidane, SAF) ALL of them are his former coach.

[@FurioussBear]

I'm portuguese. Before I even watch the video I'll comment and then see if you agree. 3 things that I could not believe during the euros. 1. Ronaldo only having score one of 70 free kicks. How is it possible that world class players like bruno and Bernardo don't have the gumption to tell 'step to the side on this one' I promise you. It us exhausting to see us getting decent free kicks and seeing ronaldo taking them. Think a professional footballer taking 70 free kicks and only scoring one. That is insane and not even an amateur would be proud of that number. 2. Why does everything. Every play, every ball, every passage of play end with ronaldo. Why can't these world class players create and finish it by themselves. 3. If there was any doubts as to why martinez didn't win anything with belgium. Just remember this guy had one of the most prolific poachers of the ball in diogo jota. Who did not come on against france. Imo tha game was screaming for jota. Hiw is a manager unable to take a player off (regardless of his status and name) when he clearly is having an absolute shocker. And I don't mean that game alone. The entire tournament. Literally. Not one good moment. Ronaldo isn't the only one to blame. The team clearly failed as a collective but the problem with portuguese players, manager etc is that they think they're indebted to ronaldo for all eternity. And although we have evidently become stronger because of ronaldo. He simply cannot be the end all for us. Is it really that hard to comprehend a striker who is 39 years of age, playing is Saudi just isn't the answer?

[@meatiesogarcia6478]

Back in 2006, after the World Cup, our coach decided to not call our star player (Raúl). Obviously Raúl wasn't nearly as good as CR7, but he was 29 at the time, the captain, the number 7 for both Real Madrid and the national team. He wasn't the only "sacred cow" to be drop off the team, but the most prominent. There was a HUGE debate, not only among people, but the press pushed a hard narrative against the coach, Luis Aragonés, in the upcoming 2008 EuroCup. The rest is history.

[@Akatsuki9119]

As a portuguese guy myself one thing I can say is that i'm grateful for what Ronaldo has done both in the national team and as a portuguese player overseas. But the time as come for him to be grateful for the opportunities he had and to accept that the management shouldnt be afraid to bench or outirght choose another striker over him in the future.

[@mickfoley1413]

As an Italian, I'd take him over any of the strikers on the Italian NT. However, I think it's criminal to play him an entire match. He probably would've been better used as a late sub. It's still impressive how great he is at 39 when most players are over the hill at 30.

[@Akatsuki9119]

@@mickfoley1413 I do think the Italian NT would make use of him but for now I think its a shame that Italy fell short of this EURO (I really miss the 2006 team!). In my opinion the guy said it in video, his best use would probably be for him to play a support role and be a "killer" of a match. If Portugal leads by 1-0 or 2-0 for example then we sub in Ronaldo to end the game at maybe 75'min mark for another final goal and win the game vs thougher opponents. But alas Roberto Martinez and the whole PT management is just too afraid of Ronaldo's furious ego.

[@r3zaful]

@@mickfoley1413 good luck convincing him to be a benchman, this is a massive flaws on his character.

[@jeremyjosh3058]

​@@mickfoley1413his ego wouldn't want to be bench but instead Play 90 or even 120 mins

[@diogomelim5585]

Ronaldo is the definition of the quote from the dark knight "either die a hero or live long enough to see you become the vilan"

[@vanbatenburg]

No, he has always been a spectacular villain.

[@jaydash6013]

@@vanbatenburgcringe

[@hznmotorsport]

​@@jaydash6013 No cringe. He left Man United, Man United got humiliated 7-0 and Man United still manage to lift a major trophy while Cristiano Ronaldo bottled the AFC Champions League, the Saudi Arabia King's Cup and the Saudi Arabia Pro League. 2023 Top Scorer means absolutely nothing, losing to a UAE side is embarassing.

[@joaodefreitas8617]

​@@hznmotorsportlol that is in the years that normal players don't play anymore, furthermore he was having great numbers just not ronaldo numbers, wich says a lot.

[@robertking4645]

​@@hznmotorsportCarabao Cup is not a major trophy)

[@schroedericeman7200]

Ronaldo should never be allowed to take a free kick for Portugal ever again my man has scored 1 out of 60

[@therocksince99]

He has to catch all the records 🙄

[@fncruz73]

Totally agree!

[@yemi3266]

Cr7 has scored more fks for Portugal than anyone for any national team.

[@fncruz73]

@@yemi3266 Not LATELY! His % is way too low. Not sure why it went down with age but it has. Bruno Fernandes is now way better at free kicks these days.

[@schroedericeman7200]

@@yemi3266He’s literally scored 1 free kick for Portugal. There are bench players for much smaller countries that have at LEAST 2 😂

[@maximus1318able]

Been saying this has been the euros of stacked teams with average at best managers. Still believe Portugal had the talent to win thw euros. Having someone like a CR7 come into a game with 20-30 min left would work wonders for Portugal not only his talent but looking at the faces of the team they're playing see ronaldo step onto the pitch after they just played for 60-70 min. But would someone like him accept that role?

[@pedromiguel9878]

nah, he's narcisistic and ego fueled

[@maciejbala477]

yeah i mean the international managers are feeling increasingly like managers that weren't wanted in club football. Sort of a trend imo. You can't really get elite coaches most of the time. Then again it's a different sort of game too

[@thealchemist6355]

Because international management rarely has elite managers.

[@thealchemist6355]

​@maciejbala477 Aime Jacquet, Roger Lemmerre or Luis Felipe Scolari weren't elite when they won '98, '00 and '02 world cup and Euros.

[@barryschalkwijk9388]

I work with a lot of Portugese and they all say he's too old and don't get why he is playing starter. The coach is pandering to Ronaldo ONLY, not the people.

[@utwxyz123]

Let's appreciate how pepe was one of the best defenders of the euros at the age of 41 and still playing at champions league level

[@TshepoKotelo]

Exactly, I lost respect for Ronaldo when he didn't sign for Napoli

[@johnwick7583]

@@TshepoKotelo napoli wanted him?

[@TshepoKotelo]

@@johnwick7583 Yes, but only if he was willing to take a 50% salary cut. Instead he chose to go to Saudi Arabia. This was after he left Man Utd

[@Casian291]

​@@TshepoKotelosource?

[@DuduPRT]

I genuinely think this EURO’s performance was even worse than last time. The game against France was the only good performance of the entire tournament (better than Turkiye imo) and THAT’s the game we get knocked out in. I think a good chunk of the blame has to be put on Martinez. One of the best teams in the tournament, probably Top 3 worldwide in attacking talent scored 3 goals (not counting the 2 oGs) in 5 games. 3 in 5, that’s absolutely pathetic. This also includes 3 consecutive games without a single goal and 2 of those games lasted until penalty shootouts. Mind you, apart from France, which is acceptable, the other 2 games were against a debutant Georgia (who fair play, played us off the field) and a Slovenia team who was holding on for dear life the entire game AND EVEN STILL almost knocked us out if it wasn’t for Diogo Costa’s Emi Martinez-esque masterclass The other 2 games in which one of the world’s supposed best teams scored in: Own goal and Last minute lucky winner against Czech Republic and a decent 3-0 win against an uninspired Turkiye And even when we are playing good-ish, like the 1st half against Slovenia, Martinez still manages to screw it up with the substitutions! That game died as soon as Vitinha left… The other part of the blame must be placed in some of the players, most notably (and sadly) Ronaldo, who still thinks he is in the 2010s and apparently is either completely delusional or is surrounded by yes-men. I don’t know what would be worse… It’s not because “oh he is 39, poor thing” (which btw Pepe is 41 and was one of Portugal’s best players in the tournament), it’s because CR7 refuses to see his own decline and accept that maybe he needs a rest sometimes. I really like him, and I want to support him but this was just a shitshow and has been for a while now. To top it all off, players like Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, especially the latter who did amazing in the qualifiers, turned into ghosts during the tournament despite them being some of the world’s best players. The only positives in this Tournament were Diogo Costa, Vitinha and a 41-year old Pepe. Sorry for the bizarrely long comment, I just had to get it all out.

[@AuroraBoost]

I agree with everything you said but I also want to add Rafael Leao and Palhinha to the positives of the team. Leao situation was angered me deeply because every attack was coming from his side and Martinez felt the need to sub him out EVERY.SINGLE.TIME.

[@french_toast223]

Do you see the abizmal crosses leao gave? He was cooking kounde the whole game and couldnt make a single decent cross. Silva ghosted becuase they wanted to give leao the ball, it got old and predictable very fast. Portugal also refused to get into the box, they just left ronaldo there and expected him to do something. The times they actually did they looked dangerous.

[@DuduPRT]

@@AuroraBoost Yea true, Palhinha is a beast man. Move to Bayern very deserved imo

[@debmalyachatterjee22]

Leao and Costa are trash players who look good but ultimately Arnett very good,nuno Mendes at LB tho has been very good

[@lucasfragoso7634]

​@@DuduPRT honestly the guy is a Gem tho! Like he's probably one of the best Defensive midfielders in the world rn. Tho lets not forget the legendary Pepe. 41 years old yet still a beast. That's a player who understood he needed to adapt as he got older.

[@piknick3011]

Don't forget that Martinez is making the same mistakes he was making at Belgium. He had one good tournament with a whole team in its prime (his first in Russia). Then it became apparent that he doesn't have the guts to bench aging stars, plays well against small teams but fails against big teams with those same tactics with a team that isn't completely at its prime. This is exactly what we are seeing now at Portugal as well. At Belgium it only got worse when we got #1 in the world ranking, which lead to us only playing friendlies against tiny teams to retain that spot. I hope for Portugal he can still change, or the team stays this good without anyone that wants to keep playing getting old. These euro's could've been what Russia 2018 was like for Belgium had he not stuck to his habits that haven't worked out in ages by now (Euro 2020, nations league 2021, World Cup 2022).

[@Realmeanandclean]

Exactly, I completely agree - I think Martinez is a bigger issue than Ronaldo

[@maciejbala477]

yep. It's undeniable that as soon as the squad didn't look like a top club side anymore (which it absolutely did in the 3rd place WC run), then Martinez just didn't cope well with it. Honestly that's why I thought that maybe the appointment of him for Portugal would work, because their squad is absolutely stacked and you can totally argue it is more like a top club side than Belgium these days. But there's transitions to be made in the squad, tough selection decisions too, and he clearly can't really cope with it well

[@piknick3011]

@@maciejbala477 yes i agree, but it is what it is i guess

[@user-tc1kx5cw8n]

You were working on eggshells to for the whole video 😂😂😂 scared to upset a certain fanbase.

[@AuroraBoost]

Someone has to tell the truth and because people get upset so quickly without really understanding what he is saying, he has to go through things smoothly

[@pabloivan572011]

He shouldn't, it is time to accept facts. The Ronaldo CR7 fans remember is long gone

[@memeenjoyer2082]

Homelando memes are not escapable at this point. His demeanor during matches, especially when attacks don't end up as a cross aimed at him, and that mental breakdown just reeks of Homelander aura. It was painful to watch

[@therocksince99]

Ronaldo is a eucalyptus tree, sucks all the water and doesn't let the other trees (players) grow up. He has to accept he is not a player to play 90 minutes or just retire from the national team but because Ronaldo images sells well (sponsors, marketing,etc...) the portuguese football federation will make the will of the king Ronaldo. That's why we have a "yes man" coach, a.k.a Roberto Martinez. The last person who benched him (Fernando Santos) was invited to leave the team.

[@poptraxx418]

Santos tactics where trash

[@Jotakumon]

This is exactly it, and it's annoying that people don't realize this. He is an attention magnet, and other players don't get to perform at their best while he's around playing 90min throughout all games. Ronaldo is a phenomenal player, one of the best in the history of the sport. But a lot of his records are the result of him absorbing a lot of opportunities for himself. Make Ronaldo play and he'll score 3 goals. Bench Ronaldo and Portugal still scores the 3 goals, but it's across various players. That's not to say he isn't an asset or that he doesn't contribute to the team, but his performance for the national team is vastly overestimated because of records that don't explain what really happened on the pitch. Which in turn leads people to think he *has* to play, which fuels the problem even further. It's a vicious cycle, and it won't break until Ronaldo retires, because any coach who tries to break it will eventually suffer the same fate as Santos or Ten Hag. It's too much pressure for any single person. I don't blame Ronaldo individually, but I also can't blame Martinez individually, he has the unenviable task of choosing between wasting Portugal's talent or creating a horrible locker room atmosphere.

[@therocksince99]

@@poptraxx418 I didnt say Fernando Santos was a great coach.

[@therocksince99]

@@Jotakumon Santos was a terrible coach, you only need to watch the euro 2016 to see the terrible football he made team play, but one thing he had my respect, which was to bench Ronaldo in the last world cup against Morocco. Ronaldo is only good to play the last 30 minutes of the second half and bring with him 2 players in the opposite team if they are doing Individual marking. Or at least for a leadership role in the bathhouse. But honestly with is age, he can't offer anything more to the team. He should be humble and retire, most importantly accept he can't win any more prizes or records with is age. You can see he all the euro 2024 he was the only guy that hit the free kicks and the penalty he missed, just because of is ego.

[@Jotakumon]

@@therocksince99 I think unfortunately you're right. And I think he wouldn't need to retire if it wasn't for his ego. Let's assume Ronaldo is good as a bench player for specific games and situations (which I believe is the case), the problem is that the very moment Portugal doesn't play 100%, Ronaldo's ego will create a locker room problem. The narrative will be that the coach is failing because he's not playing the country's best striker in the history of the sport, and Ronaldo. That pressure is something no coach will be able to deal with and I don't see Ronaldo not playing into it. For example, not to defend Ten Hag's abilities as a coach, but his job was not made any easier by Ronaldo's behaviour after Ten Hag had the guts to not give him the icon treatment. As long as Ronaldo is around, as long as he's called into the team, I don't think any coach will be able to deal with the pressure of having to choose between making sound technical decisions or prevent any locker room/media drama. It's a lose-lose situation. The only solution is to not select him significantly before a tournament so all the drama can die down before it affects the team's performance.

[@MichaeldeSousaCruz]

Ronaldo is and has been the problem the whole time. Portugal has struggled because of 3 factors: trust issues, dysfunctional environment, and selfishness. Simple. Who’s gonna fix that? 🤷‍♂️

[@mariadecarvalho4937]

Everyone blames Ronaldo for it all,but in all honesty we want ever win because every player is selfish them all play for themselves not as a team. Ronaldo can’t carry the team them all have to play as a team.

[@Lewis1995]

Ronaldo is the manager he's not going to bench himself his head is too big

[@Diogo85]

He's not the manager.

[@Kodakcompactdisc]

@@Diogo85he kind of is

[@Oakeedokee7]

​@@Diogo85he acts like it

[@Lewis1995]

@@Diogo85 big brain

[@Diogo85]

@@Kodakcompactdisc I'm pretty sure he's not.

[@rubenr2723]

The solution passes by having a charismatic manager. Someone like Mourinho, who is a specialist in knock-out tournaments, competitive and, as a Portuguese himself, motivated to see the team succeed. Martinez is a plug, and not a courageous one. He lacks the charisma to inspire, and lacks the presence to impose authority. Ronaldo is obviously imposing himself, and he has much more weight than then manager.

[@ngabacletus9677]

Did you read what Mourinho said about Ronaldo?

[@bmnbl]

Ronaldo truly is on the edge right now i think he's struggling with accepting that he is close to retire from football and when something big happens he feels like he's failing the team and himself imo.

[@dfaiz5431]

Like he doest even willing to give the position of main free kick taker to other player. He only care about his records, he always go for shooting for goal with free kick

[@Mark-uh3un]

Ronaldo starting every single game just doesn’t make any sense. He would be a great impact sub in the second half but Jota or Ramos should’ve started.

[@aaro96live]

I don't understand why Portugal hired Martinez, the man wasted the golden generation of Belgium, how was that an appealing point on his resume? As a Ronaldo fan, respectfully, we need to bench him, bro is 39.

[@thealchemist6355]

Who would hire instead?

[@hm9627]

Effectively, Portugal were playing in all their matches with 10 men…. Simple as 🤷🏾‍♂️

[@french_toast223]

Yes leao was sending crosses to fucking no one

[@tfc91420]

@@french_toast223 while that is true you also need your striker to adapt to his wingers. Leao likes to come in and play fast low passes into near post runners. Ronaldo didn't do that a single time he just sits back post and hopes a ball can get past 3 defenders for him

[@lucasfragoso7634]

​@tfc91420 exactly. Leao is used to his strikers actually being in the Box and keeping up with his pace. You could tell he'd get to a crossing position see no one in the box and be forced to either dribble through or buy time for Ronaldo.

[@ngabacletus9677]

If he had chosen to score against Turkey instead of passing to Bruno, and if the two stonewall penalties against Georgia and France had been given, we would have been telling a different story

[@ritoplsfixclient1667]

Lil Bro blaming Ronaldo when world class players in their prime like Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva didn't show up.

[@kareembertram681]

Ronaldo is a man in denial, he’s no longer THAT GUY but clearly still trying to be THAT GUY

[@magdelinem6962]

I second that.🥂 until they call you jealous.😂

[@kareembertram681]

@@magdelinem6962 it’s clear and obvious..people saying him crying after missing that penalty was him showing passion, clearly they’ve been in denial as well, that was Ronaldo being hit by a hard dose of reality his time is up and he’s fighting hard to get every little drop left of his career

[@mickfoley1413]

The flaw of comparing Portugal to other teams is not considering their opponents. Portugal was gifted an easy qualifying group and then an easy group right to the quarters. They hadn't played a top-ranked team, not even a top 30 ranked team, until they met France who only managed to score 1 goal in the entire tournament. Spain on the other hand smashed Georgia 7-1 in qualifying then smashed them again 4-1 in the round of 16 (contrast, Georgia beat Portugal 2-0), beat Italy, Albania, and Croatia, then beat Germany (the host nation) and lets be honest they will smash France unless bad luck. Had Portugal met Spain, they would have been walloped. I think the golden years for a lot for countries is over - Italy, France, England and Portugal. In south America, you can add Brazil to that list. too.

[@lucasfragoso7634]

Honestly i think Portugals main problem is the fact Martinez doesn't know what formation he actually wants to use. Does he want 4 at the back or 3? Does he want 3 or 4 midfielders? How many forwards does he want? Like if you look at qualification and even the group stage its all over the place! On top of that he was playing guys out of Position specifically Bernardo the entire tournament. He also had an obsession with Subbing Leao and Vitinha off when they were cooking. Then theres Ronaldo. Listen i appreciate what hes done for Us but he's either gotta be a super sub or get subbed off at half time. And if he wont accept that dont call him up at all.

[@Lusoislander]

I'm Portuguese and i'm thankful for everything Ronaldo has done for Portugal and our national team, but enough is enough. Ronaldo needs to realise that currently, he does more harm than good. He's holding back this generation. He needs to retire.

[@ngabacletus9677]

How is he holding back the generation? By offering an easy goal to Bruno when he himself would have scored? By creating more big chances than Bruno or Bernardo? By winning two blatant penalties against Georgia and France which the referees mysteriously ignored?

[@avocatobigpp4249]

Retiring no, stepping down a bit yes, Ronaldo is still a very valuable player

[@ngabacletus9677]

@@avocatobigpp4249I would equally have loved to see him sit out a bit in order to be more effective on the pitch. But claiming that he is holding back the generation, there is no proof of this; if you watched the lost two friendlies before the Euro, against Croatia and Ireland, you would see what I am talking about

[@jeremyjosh3058]

​@@ngabacletus9677by have 20 shots with 0 goals

[@ngabacletus9677]

@@jeremyjosh3058 an assist when he could easily have scored At least 2 glaring penalty fouls suffered (one against Georgia and one against France) shockingly ignored by the refs.

[@arnaldocosta1298]

we are fucked, he already said that he will play the world cup

[@Kodakcompactdisc]

😂😂

[@poptraxx418]

He will be on the bench

[@mickfoley1413]

He'll be Pepe's age for the next WC. I thought Figo was over the hill in 2006 at 34.

[@arnaldocosta1298]

@@poptraxx418 i don't think his ego will allow it, but i would love to be wrong

[@arnaldocosta1298]

@@mickfoley1413 Ronaldo has a lot of care for his body, and we have better tech and medicine that 2006, so makes sense players have longer longevity, but a man should know were to stop and cr7 clearly does not know

[@retrowatcher]

Nailed it 100% I'm all for Ronaldo being on the bench for World Cup 2026 and being brought on as a super sub in the 75th minute, if nothing just to bring fear into the other team.

[@ryanergo754]

I am not taking a jab, but who will be scared of a 41 year old Ronaldo?

[@magdelinem6962]

OMG can't believe he will still want to play then.😢🙈

[@jeremyjosh3058]

His ego wouldn't want to be bench

[@pinealdreams3005]

Pretty sure Ronaldo can't play in the next world cup. He's wanted for arrest in the U.S.

[@MrHugojoel]

i am portuguese and i can tell you the feeling is that we played ok, and we were better than france. however, we don't understand why ronaldo is always in the starting team. in portugal we are all very greatful to him, but he should know how to end is carrier and be humble about it. he became from the greatest of all time in portugal to a stone in our shoe, and it makes everything revolve around him, and people are tired of him. and yes, we think he is strugling in dealing with his carreer drop. anyway, i am just repeating my self, you said it all and said it very well...

[@ronald3836]

Ronaldo moving to the Saudi league should have been the perfect argument to drop him from the national team. Benzema isn't being called up anymore, either.

[@ngabacletus9677]

​@@ronald3836but Kante is called up

[@ngabacletus9677]

Ronaldo performed better than Bruno and Bernardo, and even offered a goal to Bruno when he could easily have scored. He had two stonewall penalties ignored against him, but of course, what is fashionable right now is to heap all blame on him

[@MrHugojoel]

@@ngabacletus9677 you don't get it do you? The players don't play to their top when Ronaldo is on the pitch

[@MrHugojoel]

@@ngabacletus9677 Kante... So Pepe was there too

[@pokemigas6049]

One thing that isn't mentioned here and is the MAIN source of all these problems is the portuguese federation and agents like Jorge Mendes. You don't have to be a genius to realise that Martinez is playing Ronaldo because he was hired to do so. Nobody keeps playing a player performing as badly as him for 5 consecutive matches without a reason. And that reason is... money. The portuguese federation use Ronaldo to get sponsorship deals and I don't think I even need to explain Jorge Mende's situation. Nothing will change with these people in charge, the coach is the least of our worries.

[@PANCHOSWAY]

Mendes is no longer Ronaldo’s manager so you just invented a whole scenario for no reason , portugal never wanted Martinez they wanted Jose and waited for a long time hit him with multiple offers just for HIM to refuse then they had to go with the next option with in that case was Martinez. He was not hired to let Ronaldo play he was hired because the real coach we wanted was not available , if a coach comes in realizes that he can’t start a 20+ minute playing time at psg Gonzalo Ramos over a -till before this Tournament- guaranteed goal machine in Ronaldo nobody can be mad, if you continue forcing long ball after long ball instead of overrunning the opponent with Tiki taka / fast paced attacks with low balls (since you got all highly technically skilled players in your team ) then you can be criticized and that with a big reason

[@RomanC3098]

As a Uruguayan and seeing how much Luis Suarez has boosted moral and confidence with this Copa America squad makes me think Ronaldo can do the same for his national team. Suarez was an 80 min sub in two group stage games but you can see how the squad feeds of his support and guidance

[@ngabacletus9677]

And he missed a sitter against Uruguay as they crashed out of the competition in their first match against top opponents

[@SlimJim3082]

​@@ngabacletus9677yes Suarez missed but so did Pendu. At least Suarez doesn't act like a petulant child like pendu does.

[@aoshinomori]

Finally a full detailed explanation on Ronaldo's problem with Portugal. If he wants good for his country he should step down. But if he is obsessed with winning world cup, he will take down Portugal and sink in that obsession.

[@ngabacletus9677]

It can't be fully detailed if you don't include that he could have easily scored against Turkey but chose to pass, and those crosses would normally have led to at least 2 stonewall penalties against Georgia and France, but then the referees for whatever reason are determined to not give him a penalty

[@acerock013]

it's hard to watch because i feel like everything you're saying is obvious and reasonable. I live near Danbury CT and there is a HUGE Portuguese population here so speaking critically of Ronaldo is something i have be mindful of, but i think you're spot on. The man is a giant in the sport, done so much for so many, but he has to embrace a new role.

[@diegogonzalezvazq]

Saw a tweet saying that what Suarez has done for Uruguay is a perfect example of what Ronaldo should be doing

[@ngabacletus9677]

And how did Uruguay end up? Did they win Copa America?

[@diegogonzalezvazq]

@@ngabacletus9677 does that ultimately make a difference? No, my point stands. You Ronaldo fans need to grow up. Many of you guys are already adults and still cry and whine online when someone criticizes him

[@ngabacletus9677]

@@diegogonzalezvazq your example is stupid because Uruguay also failed to win. Maybe if Suarez had been a starter, they would have won

[@diegogonzalezvazq]

@@ngabacletus9677 Uruguay came third, where did portugal place?? You’re forgetting that Ronaldo DID play, and he scored zero goals and missed a penalty. What’s the excuse now? Suarez can’t do 90 minutes, he obviously shouldn’t be starting. Just like Ronaldo who also obviously isn’t good enough to do 90 minutes. You need to grow up and accept that he’s washed.

[@ngabacletus9677]

@@diegogonzalezvazq 1) Portugal were beaten on penalties by France, while Uruguay lost to Colombia. There are levels to this 2) it is shameful to blame Ronaldo for not having scored, when you clearly saw how a)he could easily have scored, but chose to pass b) there were 2 stonewall penalty fouls against him , one against Georgia and the other against France (by Maignan) which were ignored against him. He did miss a penalty but that penalty was very well struck and excellently saved by a world class goalkeeper, so I don't see how it is a proof of him being washed. Besides, he scored the other 2 penalties convincingly It's easy to sit on your couch and complain that the team would have won without him, but the fact of the matter is that the coach used the last two friendlies before the Euro, to determine that though Ronaldo is not as good as he once was, he remains Portugal's biggest goal threat

[@eljefe6213]

Yeah overall a difficult situation for Martinez considering Ronaldo seems to be struggling with the drop off as you stated even as a starter. Perhaps if he was benched the situation would be even more of a meltdown but knowing he’s a world class poacher it would have been the best move for him. No one will top his legacy for Portugal but we do need to talk about how he cried after the penalty miss and everyone rallied to him but he walked off after the Felix miss.

[@brianhum8765]

The writing was on the wall years ago that Ronaldo isn't the kind of player that wants a sub role and Martinez is well known from his time with Belgium to be a weak manager who doesn't have the spine to put big personalities/divides within the locker room in line or play younger players at the expense of older big name players. They won't win a tournament as long as they continue placating to Ronaldo's ego and still have Martinez in charge; they clearly struggled converting a lot of possession and attempts into actually dangerous scoring chances in almost every game when focusing on Ronaldo.

[@ronald3836]

It is rather surprising that Martinez does not dare to do what his predecessor already did during the 2022 WC: bench Ronaldo. And back then, Ronaldo was still "playing" in a real league. I find it difficult to imagine that Martinez would be fired for benching a player who is no longer playing top football.

[@brianhum8765]

@@ronald3836 Seems to be an issue with a lot of national teams; you get so much less time with the players than at club to where it's a lot tougher, particularly for the non elite managers, to shift the team strategy to focusing on different players when it's been built around one great player for so long.

[@johnnychris97]

Doesn’t matter if you were arguably the Greatest of All Time, when you’re nearing 40, you CANNOT play 120 minutes…

[@ronald3836]

The analogy between Ronaldo and Biden is strong.

[@ngabacletus9677]

Your dementia is stronger

[@supersueca1]

Ronaldo is finished, face it. And stop this fantasy about Ronaldo accepting a different role. It will never, ever happen. Where does this wild idea come from? You are talking about one of the hugest egos in football history. With him it is all or nothing, and I say as a Portuguese, for me it has been nothing for some time now. And yes, for Portugal to move on as a football nation with any hopes of winning anything, it is crucial that he goes for good. Why do you think Martinez was hired? To reenstate the Ronaldo Show after Santos took his bravest decision ever: bench Ronaldo. And that got him sacked, not the lackluster football exhibited. The greedy Portuguese Football Federation privileges money above all and they need their cashcow on the team. Period. What self-respecting coach with the resemblance of a spine would accept this? Is Martinez a spineless, shitty coach? Yes, as he had proved in Belgium. Why do you think Mourinho didn´t take the job? Who would accept at a constant basis someone who has a word about anything on and off the pitch, while showing up such a dismal display in the last 3 tournaments? Who has had a toxic influence on the pitch and in the dressing room? Ronaldo lives in a bubble, surrounded by people who feed off him and feed his ego. The Portuguese FA only cares about what they can cash in on him. A great part of his fans are deluded to a point where they want him in the team, no matter what, whether he is injured, or in his 50´s. This will not get better 2 years from now. But will he be in the next WC, in the starting 11? Of course he will.The (shit)show must go on! God help us...

[@ShadyPlatinum777]

Completely agree. Look what happened a Man United, man threw a hissing fit because he wasn’t starting. Just drop him from the national team

[@TheOnlyTaps]

And yeah i definitely think as well it's something that Portugal have been needing to do for years now and they were on course to start easing him out after 2022 world cup but then reversed it all. And you said it best, easing him out doesn't mean retire him or force him out but theres ways that this Portugal team needs to now learn how to exist and play on their own and have Ronaldo as an "icing on the cake" and not have to be reliant on him to where the team still plays to him. As a Madrid fan i always use the Luka Modrić example. Where Madrid we are no longer reliant on Luka. He still starts games here and there and has veey important minutes in cameos off the bench but Carlo Ancelotti knows that father time comes for everyone so he's not gonna treat a 38 year old Modrić how he'd treat a 27, year old Modrić. And that goes for any aging player. Whether you are contributing in peak like Pepe or whether you're not contributing father time is basically undefeated. And so the teams that are best able to allow these players to age gracefully is teams that can play to the nee strengths and weaknesses of those aged players and even if its having him come off the bench against tired legs and what not its basically ways for the tesm to function and move on and still retain the knowledge and experience of those older players and call upon them as necessary. Zlatan is another one i use as an example coz his last stint at Milan was completely different from his young days. And you were able to see how a 35+ year old Zlatan adapted to his body aging and was still able to play an important role for a young Milan team but without the team becoming overly reliant on him. And when he dipped Giroud went and did a similar role of that older wise statesman in the dressing room.

[@Redonepunch]

His falloff has been shocking. I had him as a striker in my fantasy team at the beginning of the tournament. Was really not expecting him to play so poorly despite being aware of how the Saudi league is just a couple of bigger teams playing against fodder. I thought maybe a confident Ronaldo would easily score in a relatively easy group

[@ChrisCoelho]

It’s not shocking at all, he’s 39 most players fall off at 35 and he managed to last a few years longer but doesn’t matter who you are rather time comes for all. Look at Messi he’s a shell of his former self and he’s only 37, these guys shouldn’t be playing 90 minutes every game and need to be subs or not play at all.

[@ryanergo754]

He really hasn't done anything against any decent opposition in 3 years. Not particularly shocking. I was shocked he was still one of the most costly players.

[@MrJoey889]

Got a meeting to attend. But excited to watch this one. This Portugal team has massively under performed. I haven’t been this excited for a Portugal team since 2006 so it’s quite sad. Can’t wait to see what you have to say Adrian.

[@jackbragg1893]

This Portugal team actually has a lot of similarities with englands “Golden generation from the 2000s

[@ezraezra2928]

Belgium as well. Other than the 2018 World Cup, they were disappointed at all.

[@alisf12]

Gonçalo’s World Cup hatrick was a fluke not the norm. He’s benched at psg

[@diegogonzalezvazq]

Well yeah of course, he has to compete with very talented players

[@dissect123]

3:18 Remark on the two Havertz goals: Both were penalties. Havertz is a huge disappointment for the German squad as he has contributed basically nothing for how much play time he got. Common agreement among fans is that Füllkrug should always have started instead.

[@Brabour]

Havertz is great at creating chances and link up play but his problem is that he needs a ridiculous amount of chances. Him creating all these chances feels worthless as he never manages to convert them.

[@dissect123]

@@Brabour The main problem is that he was mostly played as a 9. The few moments when Füllkrug was also on the pitch and Havertz played false 9, he was much more effective for the team. He just isn’t a 9.

[@OTFKlNG]

Ten hagg was ahead of his time when he dropped Ronaldo

[@tatianaoliveira2191]

And Portugal's former coach, Fernando Santos That's why the FPF dropped Fernando Santos (how dare he put the ''golden boy'' on the bench)... despite him being the only coach to have given to Portugal two titles.

[@alejandrohernandez8273]

@@tatianaoliveira2191He was fresh off a 20+ goal PL season…

[@NickthePobrecito]

and look at ten Hag on the verge of being sacked every matchweek and every summer 🤣🤣🤣

[@NickthePobrecito]

@@tatianaoliveira2191Fernando Santos was a God Awful manager, Portugal won despite him.

[@lucasfragoso7634]

​@@tatianaoliveira2191 except for the fact Santos was terrible as well and only decided not to start Ronaldo after the two had an argument.

[@patrickpacheco4648]

Great analysis. I think you're 100% spot on.

[@bear_eater254]

How Jota was never even subbed is beyond shocking.

[@petrus_the_rock5145]

Great analyses.

[@thabommasa6663]

Adrian😮 you have just echoed and summed up my thoughts.... all the best man👊🏽

[@dylanparker130]

Love this guy's videos. Most of Portugal's best moments came when Ronaldo left that central area, drifting out to the wide areas for interplay with the wide men. E.g. this is how Extra Time ended against France, where Portugal nearly grabbed the winner, as well as Paulinha hitting the post against Slovenia. Jota improved them every time he came on, such a smart player.

[@brunoleite5817]

Are you going to make any videos about Copa America?

[@Zagirus]

He only has 3 K/O goals in his entire international career. That says it all.

[@rypb16]

Great vid. Subscribed

[@milchi_ruhe]

Switzerland had the same situation with Shaqiri, a legend of my countrys football history and former captain. But Yakin had the guts to bench him and although Shaqiri didn‘t pretend to be happy about it, he stood back for the team. And delivered when subbed in against Scotland. It was a good example on how to behave as an aging legend.

[@fabioinacio6179]

I'm Portuguese bro and you're absolutely right

[@AussieBenfica-tw3yz]

Mourinho would be perfect fit as he is result driven and is not scared of making big decisions

[@RuiLuz]

Unfortunately this is not Portugal's National Team, this is Ronaldo's Football Club. Martinez is doing what he was hired to do, to be submissive to a figurehead. Ronaldo was once one of the best/best player in the world, but not anymore, now only his name and stratospheric sponsorship's keep him at the top, his massive ego which catapulted him to stardom is now his worst enemy. Time doesn't forgive, playing with him is playing with minus one, he doesn't press, he doesn't scare the opposition, whenever the ball passes through his feet, the plays gets immediately slower, and most of all, he doesn't score, which was his magnum opus in the most recent years. He is only there for personal records, not collective winnings.

[@ngabacletus9677]

You are right. That is why he chose to pass to Fernandes instead of scoring himself

[@Davesv]

Crazy that Pepe at 41 years old put on a show better than Ronaldo, I understand its different roles but still

[@pinealdreams3005]

Ronaldo is the classic case of just refusing to accept when things have come to an end. He's 39, had one of the greatest careers of all time. Is one of the greatest players of all time. A legacy that will live forever, never forgotten, and will probably forever be the greatest Portugese footballing icon ever. But his legs have gone, and even his touch seems to have weirdly deserted him. He has moments of brilliance still - class never truly fades - like that backheel assist, but most of the time the ball now seems to bounce awkwardly for him, or he's just a little off the pace, or his shot is just over. That break down after the penalty was, I think, the moment he realised it himself, but he won't quit because it's not in his nature to quit. He will keep trying to come back until somebody with a set of balls tells him it's over. Unlikely though, as the pressure of that is too much for most managers. Interestingly though, I'm pretty sure the situation is going to resolve itself anyway. Not many seem to be talking about the fact he's actually wanted for questioning in the U.S over historical sexual assault allegations and would be immediately taken in for by the police if he goes there. Meaning, of course, he can't really play the 2026 World Cup, as it's in the U.S.

[@DiogotheSilva]

He could be the new Mantorras effect. When Mantorras started to warm up it looked like Benfica scored a goal. And that had an impact on the adversaries.

[@rsxbulma]

Great video and the data don’t lie teams that embrace the young talent with the mix of veterans played really good.

[@aayushmankatiyar5862]

Ronaldo is a part of a bigger problem in which Roberto Martinez plays a huge role.

[@superslayerguy]

Sooner Portugal get over Ronaldo the sooner they can get back to winning

[@magdelinem6962]

True story here 🤷🙈

[@ngabacletus9677]

What did they ever win without him. Even the golden generation of Figo, Costinha Rui Costa and so on what did they win?

[@SlimJim3082]

​@@ngabacletus9677Ronaldo also didn't win anything for Portugal. Only after he was subbed off, Eder won the Euros for Portugal.

[@superslayerguy]

@@ngabacletus9677 they’ve gotten better overall as a national team since 20 years ago when he first came on

[@ngabacletus9677]

@@superslayerguy did he have a major impact in that or not?

[@Mrsirac23]

Martinez lives in delulu land, trying to make the team work around Ronaldo was a bad idea from the get go. I mean do not get me wrong, Ronaldo has not been tragic, I mean the service he got in some games was horrific given there are some really good passers around him, some of the best in the world, in fact i was impressed with his physical condition for his age and given that semi-pro league he's playing for, but he age does not lie , you can not beat biology with sheer will and determination and playing all minutes and taking all those free kicks smells more like a ego thing, breaking records and bla bla bla which usually comes in detriment of the team, so a discussion must be had about how much is this Ronaldo's team and which manager has the balls to confront him? he can be useful against minnows but boy he needs to understand Father time does come for everyone, temper that big ego that brought him success and he'll do good things again, but you got to accept a secondary role ffs, it's not your time anymore!

[@lucasfragoso7634]

Well part of the problem is Martinez pulled a Fernando Santos and tried to play an attacking midfielder as a forward. Only instead of Bruno he chose Bernardo lol.

[@KevinRodriguez-rm5sk]

No comments in 33 sec bro is going. Viral

[@helderfonseca3856]

i think he still wants to play in next international competion, did he said goodbye??? somebody tell me...

[@manycosta6628]

Good video, think you found that delicate balance on CR7. I love what he has done for us, but this team has a real chance to win the WC. Hope we can find that balance with him still on the team. I still feel like Martinez is missing something… not sure if he is the right guy to lead this team to glory.

[@floozle702]

Ronaldo truthers aint gonna like this one

[@AemondEye]

Imagine if Roberto Martinez used his brain for once and well if he isn’t going to bench Ronaldo then how about playing with 2 up top (Ronaldo and Jota) Jota is amazing at headers and also he could be the guy to get the second ball if a cross is cleared by the defenders which is something he does a lot at Liverpool’s it makes so much sense with Neto Bruno Cancelo and Bernardo making the crosses that would’ve been a much better game plan but of course the mastermind behind Belgium’s golden generation flop won’t do it

[@tinarex1173]

Bro still on that fluke hat-trick 2 years ago 😢 at least say something recent about him

[@Peace-fd3tg]

You are unfortunately correct and so on point with your entire analysis. So many people are scared to tell it like it is. This doesn't change the fact he will always be one of the biggest professionals who ever played this game. He needs to accept he is past his prime. I believe his status is bigger than what he can provide on the pitch for an entire game. May be excellent substitute or managing position. It seems he is the one deciding wether or not he is retiring. Such talent in Portugal wasted once again at this tournament. And by status I also mean managers are locked up on him no matter what. Look at what happened to Santos after the World Cup. Martinez is either told what to do and follows or is scared to embrace the change. The next World Cup is 2 years away and with so much talent I just hope for Portugal will adapt not for status but for the country! Forca Portugal!

[@adnannaemaz1989]

Somebody given Ronaldo a fastrack watch and tell him to move the faq on.

[@brew_guy8947]

"Ronaldo is 39" "You monster, how can you say something so hateful! " 😂

[@jobin118]

Despite being the 🐐 the guy doesn’t know when to step aside. Martinez was always a spineless bald fraud.

[@ShadyPlatinum777]

💯

[@marcioiria4899]

That is everything everyone thinks in Portugal regarding Martinez, the tactics that he introduced in the preparation before the world cup only brought bad results and I don't get it, we did a good qualification in another system and before the tournament you are going to change to a 3 defence line up, and you only brought one player that play and was champion in the Portuguese league with to try that line up and left out other players from Sporting... the mess that he make in the game against Georgia nothing was working and he change players and not the system during the game when was clear that the system was indeed the problem. ti would also add the choices that all the coaches from the national team do after Scolari just because some players from the "Super Agent M. " need to be sold in the summer duo to end of contract, or if the player stays get a better transfer fee because the player goes and plays for the national team and get theoreticly more value and players stopped in the same club for too much time don't bring money to his business, like happened in the work cup with R. Neves ( he's a good player but in the national team he doesn't bring nothing to the game like João palhinha does and he never played before until the super agent put him in Arabia and now this euro were Nelson Semedo and Neto... And for all haters before call me a a lagarto I'm from Benfica but I recognise value in my rivals, and talke about football without "clubismo". Ps- the Portuguese press says that Ronaldo stopped following on Instagram J. Felix after the game😂 it's just exiting from the top in a bad bad way after that piers morgan it has been a nonstop down rollercoaster what a wait of a legacy pure to egoism and self-interest from a guy that only cried because I miss the opportunity to be the oldest player scoring a goal in a euro, that's the only reason the cried don't get full by his game modesty, if it was for the miss when Felix missed he should be there for him right away a few days before he also misses and once more he was not there for the kid, he's a toxic player in that squad, before he had reasons he was super machine now he's just an average player and he can't accept it, so he takes everyone down with him and once more another great Portuguese generation will be lost...

[@riichobamin7612]

I said this same thing on Instagram after Portugal vs Slovenia and so many Ronaldo simps called me clueless, moron and a "hater".

[@Hyde_Hill]

Extra note of those opta power rankings. They really did a snap shot moment. Causing the Dutch league for instance to drop hard because Ajax had an off season. Very different if take multiple years into account.

[@alexanderavila563]

I am a Ronaldo fanboy through and through. I would not have started Ronaldo vs France. I would’ve subbed him in the second half, if we needed a goal.

[@jofa9495]

Im Portuguese and I wanted him out since the world cup. A lot of Portuguese feel the same because he's not a footballer anymore. He's a retired athlete living off his past laurels. A walking commercial brand. If we are to play him as a "debt of gratitude" then let's add Figo and Eder to the squad as well.

[@Game7Mode]

Roberto Martinez has always given me the vibes of the sort of manager who doesnt win the big one.

[@valvevac-systemchecker3773]

I very much agree with you but I think for Ronaldo it’s all or nothing. Either he’s the main guy or he’s just some guy on the team and for a guy who has been worshipped by everyone around him wherever he went. I don’t think his ego can take it, additionally I like that you lay the blame with the manager but I think that’s part of the problem. The bigger issue for me is the Portuguese FA. They’re in charge of who’s called up and who the manager is. If they’re serious about winning then they should back the manager they appoint even if it is to the detriment of their star player. Right now it feels like both them and the manager are playing a game of hot potato with addressing the Ronaldo issue.

[@korygrey6170]

ETH tries this and the whole world called him disrespectful and pointed at it as evidence for his lack of man management prowess. Lol we move

[@1972dsrai]

It shouldn’t be that hard of a decision tbh. He’s been an amazing servant to the national team, but time catches up with us all eventually and his performances at the Euro’s showed he’s no longer warranting a regular starting role, but can still do a job coming off the bench. His experience and talent can still be an asset if used properly. Taking all the free kicks is crazy considering he hasn’t scored from one in a very long time and there are now better, younger players who should be starting ahead of him. Jota hardly played at the Euro’s which is just criminal. Martinez will end up failing with the team if he doesn’t cut the chord.

[@ajahandypersonal]

Good job as usual, I believe all you said is the bitter truth, it left for the coach to realise it and make the hard decisions

[@palma675]

Let's just say Martinez isn't good enough for elite teams. I mean the guy wasted that extremely talented Belgium team and gonna do the same with Portugal.

[@BeltsuRR]

Portuguese here. I’m grateful for CR and for all that he has done for the national team, but he is holding us back. He should not be a starter and he should not score free kicks. We’re wasting a great generation of players. Our national team has the potential to win trophies, and it is being wasted. It could be Portugal playing tomorrow, if his role was different. I feel like we played most of the games with 10 men. Again, really grateful for all that he did and his legacy, but everything comes to an end.

[@andrekoerber7334]

CROnaldo should have retired after the 2021 Euro. At the last WC his egoism avoided that Portugal at least reached the semis and the same counts for this Euro.

[@alvifadhollah]

We all know Cristiano is still competitive and ambitious player, and l think the reason is two: 1. Messi's successful on overlapping Cristiano achievement in International trophy, especially World Cup. Cristiano wanted to prove he still can get a trophy in major international tournament. Or at least, he can make it tie with Messi in terms of international trophy (Cristiano 2, Messi 3 before winning Copa America 2024) before he retired. It's not surprising for me if he still want to play in WC 2026 later. You can say I'm imagining this, but, looking back how obsessed Cristiano on Messi's achievement, I think this is logical. 2. He wanted to prove to his haters, he's not done yet. After his career ending interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano is like become unlikeable players. Joining Arab's club even make it worse. He wanted to prove he's still getting it.

[@emmanuelobiajuru7922]

He has always been breaking down, but your assessment is right

[@xh2633]

Portugal could have hired Rui Jorge.

[@kirbaimovic]

Well Portugal, you are welcome 🇪🇸

[@BIadelores]

This might be a little odd and isn't really related to the video but those images you showed of Ronaldo crying were kinda bizarre to me because there's no tears in any of them. In fact I don't remember the last time I saw Ronaldo cry with tears. Can he just not produce tears anymore?

[@SauravLimbu-h7o]

Wtf is even this comment

[@dorgelysamuel9815]

Partly agree with you brother!

[@defecationzen]

my question is, does martinez have the authority and autonomy to manage/bench ronaldo in the first place? a bit of a conspiracy theory, but i won't be surprised if ronaldo has a deal with the portuguese fa about his playing minutes or something. throughout the euros it looks like he was the one managing himself while martinez managed the rest of the team.

[@ShadyPlatinum777]

He’s only got the job because he’s a yes man

[@thereddevil6582]

I love listening to actual football experts

[@iceman4660]

Portugal is experiencing the Martinez effect. He will wield the same magic he used with Belgium.

[@somthingsomething665]

When i saw Roberto Martinez as Portugal coach, i knew it was over for them. He suck´s at that job. Also think that Ronaldo is tainting hes legacy and already has at some level. He acts like he is still the force he used to be, without the result´s to back him up.