It was bitter for Real Madrid fans to watch Cristiano Ronaldo in tears after his Portugal side lost 1-0 to Spain in the World Cup Round of 16, especially since it was clear that many players on Portugal did not live up to their billing while the whole squad itself just did not fight hard enough. The continued poor coaching from Roberto Martinez, wasting another golden generation, was another major issue, as was the injury to Nuno Mendes a game changer against the Selecao.
Yet, as always, after every difficult game for the Portuguese national team, the attention and criticism was disproportionately centered around one man in Ronaldo, with the attacks almost becoming personal and gleeful, including from the media.
Cristiano will not play in any more World Cups for Portugal, as he confirmed the sad truth to reporters after the defeat. But he will still be a part of the national team and a key player under manager Jorge Jesus, with whom he won the Saudi Pro League at Al Nassr last season. His goal will be to keep winning trophies for Portugal before the next World Cup and prove that he is not finished.
Ronaldo threw Cristiano under the bus
Because even some legends of the game are beginning to doubt Cristiano, including a former Real Madrid Galactico, Ronaldo Nazario. The legendary striker bearing Cristiano's name, Ronaldo was an amazing player early in his career for the Brazil national team and had two seasons with 20 goals for the Merengues but never quite lived up to his bililng at the Santiago Bernabeu with effort issues and injuries blighting him and the club.
Ronaldo thinks that Cristiano is finished and cannot perform at a high level beyond the Saudi Pro League, and he pretty much declared as much to ESPN Brasil, via CentreGoals, “Maybe he still has the level to play in Saudi Arabia, but to compete in a World Cup, we realize that it is much more difficult, the level is much higher. Despite our passion, our love of football and our desire to play forever, I think it is finally the body that decides for us.”
It is a bit on the nose for a player who retired a 30 - and probably should have never signed with AC Milan in the first place because he was so past it - to declare Cristiano finished after Ronaldo scored more goals in one World Cup than Nazario did in either of his last seasons with Real Madrid and Milan.
Father Time does come for everyone and Cristiano is not the same player he was, but if Julian Quinones can be praised for tearing up the Saudi Pro League and World Cup, then it is a bit weird to call a star and a champion of the league washed because the levels of both are not the same.
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