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The Peninsula
Another Portugal game and more calls for the nation's biggest and most iconic sports star to be dropped from the national team. The Cristiano Ronaldo situation is an enigma -- hailed for being one of the greatest to play the game, an eternal rivalry with Lionel Messi, an insatiable urge to win, and a drive to keep playing at a high level, despite being 37 years old.
A huge conundrum for Portugal and any team willing to take the now unattached five-time Ballon d'Or winner is how do you play him? Does he still have the legs? After 195 games and 118 goals for Portugal, maybe it is time for Ronaldo to step back and let the younger players carry him to a career-capping World Cup title.
Undoubtedly, Ronaldo dragged Portugal back to elite football.
Before Ronaldo, A Selecao had only qualified for three World Cups and three Euros without winning a major trophy.
With the superstar, who made his debut in 2003 at just 18, they have qualified for four World Cups and four Euros with two major trophies (2016 Euro and 2019 Nations League) to show. Ronaldo has been crucial to Portugal's modern success, and they have improved because of him.
However, it has been a bruising time for the 37-year-old. Manchester United ended their contract with him following public criticism of the club.
Now Portugal coach Fernando Santos dropped the talisman from the starting line-up for the first time at a major tournament since Euro 2008 as A Selecao thumped Switzerland 6-1 to book a quarter-final spot in Qatar.
Many say the team played better without their captain, with more freedom and fluidity, but Santos, after the match stressed that Ronaldo was dropped for tactical reasons.
It was a far cry from his pre-match statement, where he stated his dislike for Ronaldo's reactions to being substituted in the team's final group match against South Korea. Santos stressed the matter had been discussed, and a new page has been turned.
“Right now, we have to look at them and decide the best strategy for this match. That's what led to Ronaldo being switched out,” Santos told reporters after the match.
“I made it clear that it was a normal switch. We also must look back on the great example that this amazing player is. He's the best in the world and an example of professionalism, a captain, a goalscorer, and determination.”
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Watching the last 10 Portugal matches, it is no longer an abomination to suggest that while he has achieved things people, only dream of, Ronaldo is not the same. The bursts, dancing feet, and sharp runs in the box are fading -- his apparent lack of mobility means he no longer fits the high-energy pressing style of football many teams like to play in today's game.
A poll by a Portuguese media outfit had recorded 70% of correspondents calling for the captain to be dropped.
In fairness to Ronaldo, while on the bench on Tuesday night, he cheered his teammates on, and his replacement Goncalo Ramos, who bagged a hat-trick against Switzerland, stressed the captain has always been a motivation.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a role model; he is an idol for many. I also like (Robert) Lewandowski and (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic,” Ramos said.
“Cristiano, as captain, did what he does; he helped and talked to us, not just me but my teammates.” Ronaldo is not just a footballer but a major brand – after all, he is the most followed man on social media, with over 509 million followers on Instagram alone.
At the Lusail Stadium on Tuesday night, the superstar's name was on everyone's lips, maybe not the Swiss fans.
Chants of 'we want Ronaldo' were loud as he warmed up along with his teammate. On his entry, the stadium came alive and Ronaldo, with his only clear chance, found the back of the net in typical style. Though rightly ruled out for offside, he showed he can still be lethal in front of goal.
In his absence, A Selecao played their best game in a while and by far their best performance in Qatar. With his role not clearly defined going forward, how will Ronaldo react to being left out again?“Cristiano and I know that the team changes,” Santos, who has known the star since he was 19, said.
“It's nothing personal; it's about what we have to do during the match. That's what we need to do, but Cristiano is still very important to the team.”
The aura is fading; Ronaldo knows that but the veteran star has always bounced back from criticism, sometimes of his own making, but this may be one he can't come back from with the Portuguese team. It is a changing of the guard for the superstar, he was once a youngster as Figo, Rui Costa, and co said goodbye to the national team -- it is time for Ronaldo to do the same.