Despite obvious signs that time had taken its toll on Portugal's talisman Cristiano Ronaldo, the team's technical staff failed to adequately manage his participation, leading to the end of his international duties without winning a World Cup medal.
Career and Expectations
In six World Cup appearances, Ronaldo has failed to win a single title. This was not the final chapter of his international career with Portugal, which he likely envisioned when debuting on the world stage in Germany in 2006.
However, the current situation requires him to accept defeat, acknowledging that his failure at the World Cup was largely due to his own decisions, driven by the desire to remain in the starting lineup even when his performance no longer justified it.
Achievements and Decline in Form
Undoubtedly, Ronaldo is one of the greatest players in football history, who played at the highest level for decades and demonstrated first-class performances year after year. He holds five Ballon d'Or awards and numerous trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles.
Nevertheless, his effectiveness has decreased in recent years. However, he cannot be entirely blamed, as he was approaching 40 years old—he was 41 at the time of writing—and he was playing in the less competitive Saudi Pro League.
Changes in Coaching Staff
The decline in his level and inability to keep up with the high tempo of modern football were noticeable to fans. Even the Portuguese technical staff noted this during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when former coach Fernando Santos deliberately substituted him before the team advanced to the quarterfinals.
Later, Roberto Martínez, the former Belgium coach, joined the team, largely reversing Santos' progressive ideas by returning Ronaldo to the main number nine striker position. Although this sometimes yielded results, ultimately it slowed down the team, pushing promising young players like Gonçalo Ramos further into the background.
Consequences of Decisions and Comparison with Messi
Ultimately, prioritizing Ronaldo resulted in problems for Martínez, Ronaldo himself, and most importantly, for the entire nation. Martínez left the team after the group stage exit against Spain in the current World Cup, while Ronaldo confirmed that this was his last major tournament.
The 41-year-old athlete leaves the main stage, stating 'high confidence' in post-match interviews. However, the truthfulness of this statement remains debatable. Meanwhile, his eternal rival, Lionel Messi, continues to achieve incredible success.
Messi led Argentina to the top 16 (where they met Egypt on Tuesday evening), further cementing his name in World Cup history as all-time top scorer with 20 goals.
It is worth noting that Argentina and Messi participated in the tournament as defending champions, having won the previous edition in Qatar, which reinforced Messi's legacy, allowing him to win all major trophies both at the club level with Barcelona and on the international stage.
Debate Over the Greatest Player
Since the World Cup is considered the highest prize in sports, Messi has effectively settled the debate over the 'Greatest of All Time' (GOAT). Ronaldo, however, offered an unconvincing explanation, claiming that winning the Euros is equivalent to winning the World Cup.
The fact that Messi scored seven goals in Argentina's first four matches of this tournament speaks volumes about his effectiveness even in the later years of his career. He still matches the productivity of sensational talents such as Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who have yet to reach their peak.
Strength of the Portuguese Squad
And so that no one claims that Messi plays with a stronger entourage than Ronaldo, that is not true. The Portuguese national team features many world-class players who dominated European club football last season.
Bruno Fernandes was named Premier League player of the season after a brilliant campaign for Manchester United, while Vitinha, João Neves, Nuno Mendes, and Ramos won consecutive Champions League titles with Paris Saint-Germain.
Of course, one could argue that Ronaldo also had an impressive season with many goals at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, but the question of whether he deserves to lead his country's attack in such a global tournament is a completely different story. Ultimately, he should first consider how his stubbornness cost him and his national team.
