By Toby TAIWO
At 41, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is not a happy man, even though he tried to hide after the World Cup opener against Congo DR as he exchanged bantams with the African players and fans.
He has, however, come under intense criticism for not helping his side claim the decisive three points by getting in the way of his colleagues.
According to pundits, the match exposed Ronaldo’s weakness at 41.
One wrote on X: “Portugal are not favorites for the World Cup, not because they lack quality, names in certain positions, or because some stars underperform for the national team, as people will start claiming today to defend a certain player. Portugal are not the favorite because they will play the entire World Cup with one player who makes every opponent stronger than them. That player is Cristiano Ronaldo.
“He doesn’t defend, doesn’t press, ruins attacks, and only cares about his own interests. By what logic are Portugal’s players supposed to fight for him when he only plays for himself?
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“This moment explains everything. Portugal needed a goal; the ball was heading to Bruno Fernandes, who was about to shoot. Instead, Ronaldo decided to take the shot himself, hoping he might get lucky and score. The smarter and more reliable option was to leave it for Bruno, and Portugal would have won today. As long as Ronaldo is Portugal’s starting striker, there is nothing to fear from them.”
Even former World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane took a swipe at Ronaldo: “First, congratulations to Messi for his performance and hat trick. At 39 years old, what he is doing is incredible, but today I want to speak about Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Portugal have a fantastic squad. Their midfield is full of quality—Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, João Neves, and Bernardo Silva can compete with any midfield in the world. Technically, they are outstanding players.
“However, sometimes I feel Ronaldo does not receive the same support that Messi receives with Argentina. Argentina understands how to maximize Messi’s strengths and help him influence the game. Portugal have the quality to do the same for Ronaldo.
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“Cristiano has spent nearly twenty years giving everything to his country. He has scored goals, broken records, won trophies, and carried Portugal through some of their greatest moments. If this is one of his final chances to achieve something special again with Portugal, then everyone around him should be helping make that dream a reality.
“What makes Ronaldo special is not only his talent but his mentality. He never stops believing, never stops competing, and never stops fighting for victory.”
