Cristiano Ronaldo is an incredibly proud individual – with a lot to be proud about. Five Ballons d’Or, five Champions Leagues, titles in England, Spain and Italy, a beautiful family and a billion in the bank. Rising from impoverished circumstances in Madeira, Ronaldo’s achievements in life and career give him every reason to glow with pride.
But pride can also come before a fall. The great Ronaldo, his once-celebrated powers inevitably fading at 41, needs to accept his Portugal days are over, whatever the rumblings of being poorly treated. He needs to leave Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, Vitinha and Goncalo Ramos and the rest of the latest Golden Generation to chase glory without him. Psychologically and tactically, Ronaldo holds them back. It’s time for all parties to move on.
The team of all the talents and a strong-willed head coach, Jorge Jesus, look to have moved on. Last night’s defeat of Norway makes that three wins on the spin without Ronaldo. It secured qualification for the March quarter-finals from a difficult-looking Nations League group (Denmark and Wales as well as Norway). It vindicates Jesus’ selections. It surely confirms the curtain falling on Ronaldo’s international career after an astonishing, 146 goals in 234 internationals. The man himself is clearly not ready to leave the stage and the international limelight.
WINTER: Cristiano Ronaldo must accept the inevitable and bow out gracefully
A refusal to quit defines many sporting greats. They believe any situation can be turned around, however lost it seems. That strength was a quality that Sir Alex Ferguson appreciated early in Ronaldo when bringing the 18-year-old in from Sporting. Ronaldo had just bamboozled Manchester United defenders in a friendly to mark the official opening of Estadio Jose Alvalade in 2023.
Along with all the technical gifts, the one-on-one skewering of defenders, the speed, Ronaldo had this ferocious will to win that Ferguson admired deeply. That may have been partly ego and a desire for acclaim following that difficult upbringing that included laser heart surgery at 15 and an alcoholic father. The fire that burns within Ronaldo has also been fuelled by rivalry with Lionel Messi.
But he’s 41. The athleticism and supreme mobility are no longer there. The painful reality for Ronaldo is that he holds the team back. It is a story now about preserving a legacy, ensuring that the parting is done respectfully. Ronaldo is certainly owed that given his contribution to Portugal’s cause over two decades and his money-spinning value to the Portuguese Football Federation.
It is a debate that divides a nation. Respected media voices in Portugal put the split over Ronaldo at 50-50. A player who once united the whole country as he lifted them to great feats, including European glory and Nations League titles, now divides. Many can’t forget this summer’s World Cup campaign undermined by the focus on Ronaldo. Jesus’ predecessor, Roberto Martinez, was not decisive enough.
Commendably, the team’s leader Fernandes attempts to heal the divide with sensible words. “What I ask is that the country does not divide itself, does not make choices, that it respects all sides,” Fernandes said before the Norway game. “Cris [Ronaldo] is - and always will be - the biggest icon of our national team. He deserves everyone's respect, regardless of who likes him more or less.”
Portugal have another Golden Generation that must be allowed to shine. The list of luminaries is dazzling: Diogo Costa, Nuno Mendes, Joao Cancelo, Joao Palhinha, Joao Felix as well as Fernandes, Dias, Vitinha and Ramos were amongst those starting against Norway at Estadio do Dragao. Ruben Neves, Trincao and Bernardo Silva were amongst those who rose from the bench to apply more impetus.
The great unused included Pedro Neto, Rafael Leao and a back-to-back European champion, Paris St-Germain’s Joao Neves. Portugal’s got talent.
These players all grew up admiring Ronaldo. But few played with him at his peak, 2009-2018, when he absolutely shone at Man United and, even in some difficult moments for the club, at Real Madrid. He played his part in Portugal’s Euro 2016 success but did not last long in the final before injury intervened. Portugal can cope without him.
Now that Portugal have qualified for the quarter-finals, surely the obvious way to celebrate Ronaldo in a fitting farewell would be the home game against Denmark on November 14 in Braga. Or, more poignantly, in a home friendly – why not at Sporting’s Jose Alvalade? – next year when Ronaldo will surely have closed on the incredible landmark of 1,000 goals. He’s 21 short at the moment and can surely knock off most of those at Al-Nassr, resuming against Diriyah this Friday.
What a way to mark Ronaldo’s greatness than with a packed-out, impassioned throng at Estadio Jose Alvalade - the place where his career took off in that stadium-opening friendly with Man United. Ronaldo deserves an emotional send-off. And those who continue to wear Portugal’s vivid red deserve to be allowed to focus fully on the future.
