Much of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career has been defined by the hard work he puts into his craft. He elevated the concept of hard work in the sport and has been the perfect role model for young players looking to enjoy longevity in the sport. There’s a reason he’s still playing at the highest level even as he approaches the age of 40. He doesn’t look like he’s going to stop anytime soon.
His dedication to his country is also enviable. He made his debut for Portugal in August 2003 as an 18-year-old and hasn’t looked back since. 21 years later, he’s the country’s record goalscorer with the most caps. However, a bold claim from a football expert has put his teammate ahead of him as the most important Portuguese player in the squad at the moment.
Bold claim displaces Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal’s ‘best player’ seat
Cristiano Ronaldo has been Portugal’s best player for a while now. He has represented his country in several major tournaments, picking up the winner’s medal at the 2016 Euro in France at the expense of the home country, even though he suffered an early injury in the game that ruled him out for the rest of the final match. His dedication has been unmatched, as he continues to be the perfect role model for the young ones in the team.
Despite his achievements for his beloved country, a European football expert, Andy Brassell, claims Ronaldo is no longer the same player Portugal can depend heavily on. “Robert Martinez does have options,” the football expert declared. “However, because there’s so much quality in that Portuguese squad, I think people understand if he takes those options,” he continued.
“I think Cristiano Ronaldo realizes now that sometimes he’ll start, and sometimes, he’ll be a squad player, and that is just what he’s going to have to live with. It’s interesting because to think about criticizing Ronaldo two or three years ago would have been treated as complete heresy in Portugal. Whereas now, I think people understand that Bernardo Silva is their best player,” he added.
Bernardo Silva is at the peak of his career, winning the treble with Manchester City just last season while also playing an important role in their title defense this campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo left irate following Portugal’s loss to Slovenia
Portugal suffered a 2-0 loss to Slovenia in their second international friendly, which left Cristiano Ronaldo angered at the end of the game. His claim was that Portugal should have had two penalties, both of which were turned down by the referee, leaving Ronaldo red-faced at the end of the game. He walked off the pitch while angrily gesturing to the match officials, a gesture that has since gone viral on social media.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s on-pitch antics are getting out of hand, and his legacy may be at stake if he continues like this. Several fans aired their opinions on why Cristiano Ronaldo was so bittered about losing a friendly game to Slovenia.
Some claimed he was only that angry because he couldn’t get on his scoresheet, and had those two penalties been given, even if Portugal had lost, Ronaldo would have been happy because those two goals would have taken him closer to his bigger picture.
Ronaldo has also been displaying similar antics in the Saudi Pro League, especially when he gets taunted by chants of Lionel Messi’s name.
