Portugal at a crossroad: no bravery & uncomfortable conversations 

The Havertz/Füllkrug model would be perfect for Ronaldo. Let Jota or Ramos start and sub Ronaldo on after 60 minutes or so when the opposition players are already a bit tired. Ronaldo having to play for 120 minutes makes a laughing stock out of him. But imagine you’re a defender that already ran for 60 minutes and then you have to compete for a header against CR7

ronaldo will not, and will NEVER accept being a bench player for portugal. He would rather quit. And that is the flaw in his character that was never a problem untill now, that he is no longer the player he once was.

The role you describe for Ronaldo is a lot like the role Suarez has adopted for Uruguay. He's a mentor for all the new guys and specially for Darwin.

I think is time for Ronaldo to have that... very uncomfortable conversation.

Ronaldo is the definition of the quote from the dark knight "either die a hero or live long enough to see you become the vilan"

Great video, you pretty much nailed it. We Portuguese people don’t want Ronaldo out of the team. We just need him to take a different role, the fact he’s played 5 full games without being subbed off is insane. Even Fernando Santos wasn’t making these types of mistakes. We’re doomed until the Euros 2028.

I'm portuguese. Before I even watch the video I'll comment and then see if you agree. 3 things that I could not believe during the euros. 1. Ronaldo only having score one of 70 free kicks. How is it possible that world class players like bruno and Bernardo don't have the gumption to tell 'step to the side on this one' I promise you. It us exhausting to see us getting decent free kicks and seeing ronaldo taking them. Think a professional footballer taking 70 free kicks and only scoring one. That is insane and not even an amateur would be proud of that number. 2. Why does everything. Every play, every ball, every passage of play end with ronaldo. Why can't these world class players create and finish it by themselves. 3. If there was any doubts as to why martinez didn't win anything with belgium. Just remember this guy had one of the most prolific poachers of the ball in diogo jota. Who did not come on against france. Imo tha game was screaming for jota. Hiw is a manager unable to take a player off (regardless of his status and name) when he clearly is having an absolute shocker. And I don't mean that game alone. The entire tournament. Literally. Not one good moment. Ronaldo isn't the only one to blame. The team clearly failed as a collective but the problem with portuguese players, manager etc is that they think they're indebted to ronaldo for all eternity. And although we have evidently become stronger because of ronaldo. He simply cannot be the end all for us. Is it really that hard to comprehend a striker who is 39 years of age, playing is Saudi just isn't the answer?

As a portuguese guy myself one thing I can say is that i'm grateful for what Ronaldo has done both in the national team and as a portuguese player overseas. But the time as come for him to be grateful for the opportunities he had and to accept that the management shouldnt be afraid to bench or outirght choose another striker over him in the future.

Ronaldo should never be allowed to take a free kick for Portugal ever again my man has scored 1 out of 60

Let's appreciate how pepe was one of the best defenders of the euros at the age of 41 and still playing at champions league level

I work with a lot of Portugese and they all say he's too old and don't get why he is playing starter. The coach is pandering to Ronaldo ONLY, not the people.

I genuinely think this EURO’s performance was even worse than last time. The game against France was the only good performance of the entire tournament (better than Turkiye imo) and THAT’s the game we get knocked out in. I think a good chunk of the blame has to be put on Martinez. One of the best teams in the tournament, probably Top 3 worldwide in attacking talent scored 3 goals (not counting the 2 oGs) in 5 games. 3 in 5, that’s absolutely pathetic. This also includes 3 consecutive games without a single goal and 2 of those games lasted until penalty shootouts. Mind you, apart from France, which is acceptable, the other 2 games were against a debutant Georgia (who fair play, played us off the field) and a Slovenia team who was holding on for dear life the entire game AND EVEN STILL almost knocked us out if it wasn’t for Diogo Costa’s Emi Martinez-esque masterclass The other 2 games in which one of the world’s supposed best teams scored in: Own goal and Last minute lucky winner against Czech Republic and a decent 3-0 win against an uninspired Turkiye And even when we are playing good-ish, like the 1st half against Slovenia, Martinez still manages to screw it up with the substitutions! That game died as soon as Vitinha left… The other part of the blame must be placed in some of the players, most notably (and sadly) Ronaldo, who still thinks he is in the 2010s and apparently is either completely delusional or is surrounded by yes-men. I don’t know what would be worse… It’s not because “oh he is 39, poor thing” (which btw Pepe is 41 and was one of Portugal’s best players in the tournament), it’s because CR7 refuses to see his own decline and accept that maybe he needs a rest sometimes. I really like him, and I want to support him but this was just a shitshow and has been for a while now. To top it all off, players like Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, especially the latter who did amazing in the qualifiers, turned into ghosts during the tournament despite them being some of the world’s best players. The only positives in this Tournament were Diogo Costa, Vitinha and a 41-year old Pepe. Sorry for the bizarrely long comment, I just had to get it all out.

Been saying this has been the euros of stacked teams with average at best managers. Still believe Portugal had the talent to win thw euros. Having someone like a CR7 come into a game with 20-30 min left would work wonders for Portugal not only his talent but looking at the faces of the team they're playing see ronaldo step onto the pitch after they just played for 60-70 min. But would someone like him accept that role?

You were working on eggshells to for the whole video 😂😂😂 scared to upset a certain fanbase.

Homelando memes are not escapable at this point. His demeanor during matches, especially when attacks don't end up as a cross aimed at him, and that mental breakdown just reeks of Homelander aura. It was painful to watch

Don't forget that Martinez is making the same mistakes he was making at Belgium. He had one good tournament with a whole team in its prime (his first in Russia). Then it became apparent that he doesn't have the guts to bench aging stars, plays well against small teams but fails against big teams with those same tactics with a team that isn't completely at its prime. This is exactly what we are seeing now at Portugal as well. At Belgium it only got worse when we got #1 in the world ranking, which lead to us only playing friendlies against tiny teams to retain that spot. I hope for Portugal he can still change, or the team stays this good without anyone that wants to keep playing getting old. These euro's could've been what Russia 2018 was like for Belgium had he not stuck to his habits that haven't worked out in ages by now (Euro 2020, nations league 2021, World Cup 2022).

Ronaldo is a eucalyptus tree, sucks all the water and doesn't let the other trees (players) grow up. He has to accept he is not a player to play 90 minutes or just retire from the national team but because Ronaldo images sells well (sponsors, marketing,etc...) the portuguese football federation will make the will of the king Ronaldo. That's why we have a "yes man" coach, a.k.a Roberto Martinez. The last person who benched him (Fernando Santos) was invited to leave the team.

Ronaldo is and has been the problem the whole time. Portugal has struggled because of 3 factors: trust issues, dysfunctional environment, and selfishness. Simple. Who’s gonna fix that? 🤷‍♂️

Ronaldo is the manager he's not going to bench himself his head is too big

Ronaldo truly is on the edge right now i think he's struggling with accepting that he is close to retire from football and when something big happens he feels like he's failing the team and himself imo.

I don't understand why Portugal hired Martinez, the man wasted the golden generation of Belgium, how was that an appealing point on his resume? As a Ronaldo fan, respectfully, we need to bench him, bro is 39.

Ronaldo is finished, face it. And stop this fantasy about Ronaldo accepting a different role. It will never, ever happen. Where does this wild idea come from? You are talking about one of the hugest egos in football history. With him it is all or nothing, and I say as a Portuguese, for me it has been nothing for some time now. And yes, for Portugal to move on as a football nation with any hopes of winning anything, it is crucial that he goes for good. Why do you think Martinez was hired? To reenstate the Ronaldo Show after Santos took his bravest decision ever: bench Ronaldo. And that got him sacked, not the lackluster football exhibited. The greedy Portuguese Football Federation privileges money above all and they need their cashcow on the team. Period. What self-respecting coach with the resemblance of a spine would accept this? Is Martinez a spineless, shitty coach? Yes, as he had proved in Belgium. Why do you think Mourinho didn´t take the job? Who would accept at a constant basis someone who has a word about anything on and off the pitch, while showing up such a dismal display in the last 3 tournaments? Who has had a toxic influence on the pitch and in the dressing room? Ronaldo lives in a bubble, surrounded by people who feed off him and feed his ego. The Portuguese FA only cares about what they can cash in on him. A great part of his fans are deluded to a point where they want him in the team, no matter what, whether he is injured, or in his 50´s. This will not get better 2 years from now. But will he be in the next WC, in the starting 11? Of course he will.The (shit)show must go on! God help us...

Ronaldo is a man in denial, he’s no longer THAT GUY but clearly still trying to be THAT GUY

The solution passes by having a charismatic manager. Someone like Mourinho, who is a specialist in knock-out tournaments, competitive and, as a Portuguese himself, motivated to see the team succeed. Martinez is a plug, and not a courageous one. He lacks the charisma to inspire, and lacks the presence to impose authority. Ronaldo is obviously imposing himself, and he has much more weight than then manager.

I'm Portuguese and i'm thankful for everything Ronaldo has done for Portugal and our national team, but enough is enough. Ronaldo needs to realise that currently, he does more harm than good. He's holding back this generation. He needs to retire.

Effectively, Portugal were playing in all their matches with 10 men…. Simple as 🤷🏾‍♂️

Ronaldo starting every single game just doesn’t make any sense. He would be a great impact sub in the second half but Jota or Ramos should’ve started.

we are fucked, he already said that he will play the world cup

Saw a tweet saying that what Suarez has done for Uruguay is a perfect example of what Ronaldo should be doing

i am portuguese and i can tell you the feeling is that we played ok, and we were better than france. however, we don't understand why ronaldo is always in the starting team. in portugal we are all very greatful to him, but he should know how to end is carrier and be humble about it. he became from the greatest of all time in portugal to a stone in our shoe, and it makes everything revolve around him, and people are tired of him. and yes, we think he is strugling in dealing with his carreer drop. anyway, i am just repeating my self, you said it all and said it very well...

Finally a full detailed explanation on Ronaldo's problem with Portugal. If he wants good for his country he should step down. But if he is obsessed with winning world cup, he will take down Portugal and sink in that obsession.

The flaw of comparing Portugal to other teams is not considering their opponents. Portugal was gifted an easy qualifying group and then an easy group right to the quarters. They hadn't played a top-ranked team, not even a top 30 ranked team, until they met France who only managed to score 1 goal in the entire tournament. Spain on the other hand smashed Georgia 7-1 in qualifying then smashed them again 4-1 in the round of 16 (contrast, Georgia beat Portugal 2-0), beat Italy, Albania, and Croatia, then beat Germany (the host nation) and lets be honest they will smash France unless bad luck. Had Portugal met Spain, they would have been walloped. I think the golden years for a lot for countries is over - Italy, France, England and Portugal. In south America, you can add Brazil to that list. too.

Nailed it 100% I'm all for Ronaldo being on the bench for World Cup 2026 and being brought on as a super sub in the 75th minute, if nothing just to bring fear into the other team.

As a Uruguayan and seeing how much Luis Suarez has boosted moral and confidence with this Copa America squad makes me think Ronaldo can do the same for his national team. Suarez was an 80 min sub in two group stage games but you can see how the squad feeds of his support and guidance

Honestly i think Portugals main problem is the fact Martinez doesn't know what formation he actually wants to use. Does he want 4 at the back or 3? Does he want 3 or 4 midfielders? How many forwards does he want? Like if you look at qualification and even the group stage its all over the place! On top of that he was playing guys out of Position specifically Bernardo the entire tournament. He also had an obsession with Subbing Leao and Vitinha off when they were cooking. Then theres Ronaldo. Listen i appreciate what hes done for Us but he's either gotta be a super sub or get subbed off at half time. And if he wont accept that dont call him up at all.

it's hard to watch because i feel like everything you're saying is obvious and reasonable. I live near Danbury CT and there is a HUGE Portuguese population here so speaking critically of Ronaldo is something i have be mindful of, but i think you're spot on. The man is a giant in the sport, done so much for so many, but he has to embrace a new role.

One thing that isn't mentioned here and is the MAIN source of all these problems is the portuguese federation and agents like Jorge Mendes. You don't have to be a genius to realise that Martinez is playing Ronaldo because he was hired to do so. Nobody keeps playing a player performing as badly as him for 5 consecutive matches without a reason. And that reason is... money. The portuguese federation use Ronaldo to get sponsorship deals and I don't think I even need to explain Jorge Mende's situation. Nothing will change with these people in charge, the coach is the least of our worries.

Doesn’t matter if you were arguably the Greatest of All Time, when you’re nearing 40, you CANNOT play 120 minutes…

The analogy between Ronaldo and Biden is strong.

Yeah overall a difficult situation for Martinez considering Ronaldo seems to be struggling with the drop off as you stated even as a starter. Perhaps if he was benched the situation would be even more of a meltdown but knowing he’s a world class poacher it would have been the best move for him. No one will top his legacy for Portugal but we do need to talk about how he cried after the penalty miss and everyone rallied to him but he walked off after the Felix miss.

And yeah i definitely think as well it's something that Portugal have been needing to do for years now and they were on course to start easing him out after 2022 world cup but then reversed it all. And you said it best, easing him out doesn't mean retire him or force him out but theres ways that this Portugal team needs to now learn how to exist and play on their own and have Ronaldo as an "icing on the cake" and not have to be reliant on him to where the team still plays to him. As a Madrid fan i always use the Luka Modrić example. Where Madrid we are no longer reliant on Luka. He still starts games here and there and has veey important minutes in cameos off the bench but Carlo Ancelotti knows that father time comes for everyone so he's not gonna treat a 38 year old Modrić how he'd treat a 27, year old Modrić. And that goes for any aging player. Whether you are contributing in peak like Pepe or whether you're not contributing father time is basically undefeated. And so the teams that are best able to allow these players to age gracefully is teams that can play to the nee strengths and weaknesses of those aged players and even if its having him come off the bench against tired legs and what not its basically ways for the tesm to function and move on and still retain the knowledge and experience of those older players and call upon them as necessary. Zlatan is another one i use as an example coz his last stint at Milan was completely different from his young days. And you were able to see how a 35+ year old Zlatan adapted to his body aging and was still able to play an important role for a young Milan team but without the team becoming overly reliant on him. And when he dipped Giroud went and did a similar role of that older wise statesman in the dressing room.

Got a meeting to attend. But excited to watch this one. This Portugal team has massively under performed. I haven’t been this excited for a Portugal team since 2006 so it’s quite sad. Can’t wait to see what you have to say Adrian.

Ten hagg was ahead of his time when he dropped Ronaldo

The writing was on the wall years ago that Ronaldo isn't the kind of player that wants a sub role and Martinez is well known from his time with Belgium to be a weak manager who doesn't have the spine to put big personalities/divides within the locker room in line or play younger players at the expense of older big name players. They won't win a tournament as long as they continue placating to Ronaldo's ego and still have Martinez in charge; they clearly struggled converting a lot of possession and attempts into actually dangerous scoring chances in almost every game when focusing on Ronaldo.

This Portugal team actually has a lot of similarities with englands “Golden generation from the 2000s

His falloff has been shocking. I had him as a striker in my fantasy team at the beginning of the tournament. Was really not expecting him to play so poorly despite being aware of how the Saudi league is just a couple of bigger teams playing against fodder. I thought maybe a confident Ronaldo would easily score in a relatively easy group

Great analysis. I think you're 100% spot on.

Adrian😮 you have just echoed and summed up my thoughts.... all the best man👊🏽

Great vid. Subscribed

Gonçalo’s World Cup hatrick was a fluke not the norm. He’s benched at psg

3:18 Remark on the two Havertz goals: Both were penalties. Havertz is a huge disappointment for the German squad as he has contributed basically nothing for how much play time he got. Common agreement among fans is that Füllkrug should always have started instead.

I'm already accepting that 2026 will be another tournament with a fantastic generation that we will just throw out the window to feed one man's ego. I love Ronaldo, but I love the whole of Portugal more. I almost can't wait until he's gone, so that we can move forward, but I also feel it may be too late as we will be nearing a point where you can argue that we have wasted a golden generation as Bruno, Bernardo, Cancelo, Palhinha will all be over 30 in 2026 and many more will be at their peaks (Dias, Jota, Dalot, Leao) for that tournament. I hope he takes a step back as I too think he could still be impactful, I'm just not sure his pride can handle that.

Great analyses.

Love this guy's videos. Most of Portugal's best moments came when Ronaldo left that central area, drifting out to the wide areas for interplay with the wide men. E.g. this is how Extra Time ended against France, where Portugal nearly grabbed the winner, as well as Paulinha hitting the post against Slovenia. Jota improved them every time he came on, such a smart player.

How Jota was never even subbed is beyond shocking.

I'm Portuguese bro and you're absolutely right

Sooner Portugal get over Ronaldo the sooner they can get back to winning

You are unfortunately correct and so on point with your entire analysis. So many people are scared to tell it like it is. This doesn't change the fact he will always be one of the biggest professionals who ever played this game. He needs to accept he is past his prime. I believe his status is bigger than what he can provide on the pitch for an entire game. May be excellent substitute or managing position. It seems he is the one deciding wether or not he is retiring. Such talent in Portugal wasted once again at this tournament. And by status I also mean managers are locked up on him no matter what. Look at what happened to Santos after the World Cup. Martinez is either told what to do and follows or is scared to embrace the change. The next World Cup is 2 years away and with so much talent I just hope for Portugal will adapt not for status but for the country! Forca Portugal!

Switzerland had the same situation with Shaqiri, a legend of my countrys football history and former captain. But Yakin had the guts to bench him and although Shaqiri didn‘t pretend to be happy about it, he stood back for the team. And delivered when subbed in against Scotland. It was a good example on how to behave as an aging legend.

Great video and the data don’t lie teams that embrace the young talent with the mix of veterans played really good.

Unfortunately this is not Portugal's National Team, this is Ronaldo's Football Club. Martinez is doing what he was hired to do, to be submissive to a figurehead. Ronaldo was once one of the best/best player in the world, but not anymore, now only his name and stratospheric sponsorship's keep him at the top, his massive ego which catapulted him to stardom is now his worst enemy. Time doesn't forgive, playing with him is playing with minus one, he doesn't press, he doesn't scare the opposition, whenever the ball passes through his feet, the plays gets immediately slower, and most of all, he doesn't score, which was his magnum opus in the most recent years. He is only there for personal records, not collective winnings.

Are you going to make any videos about Copa America?

Good video, think you found that delicate balance on CR7. I love what he has done for us, but this team has a real chance to win the WC. Hope we can find that balance with him still on the team. I still feel like Martinez is missing something… not sure if he is the right guy to lead this team to glory.

Crazy that Pepe at 41 years old put on a show better than Ronaldo, I understand its different roles but still

No comments in 33 sec bro is going. Viral

Mourinho would be perfect fit as he is result driven and is not scared of making big decisions

He only has 3 K/O goals in his entire international career. That says it all.

Good job as usual, I believe all you said is the bitter truth, it left for the coach to realise it and make the hard decisions

Ronaldo truthers aint gonna like this one

He could be the new Mantorras effect. When Mantorras started to warm up it looked like Benfica scored a goal. And that had an impact on the adversaries.

I love listening to actual football experts

Ronaldo is the classic case of just refusing to accept when things have come to an end. He's 39, had one of the greatest careers of all time. Is one of the greatest players of all time. A legacy that will live forever, never forgotten, and will probably forever be the greatest Portugese footballing icon ever. But his legs have gone, and even his touch seems to have weirdly deserted him. He has moments of brilliance still - class never truly fades - like that backheel assist, but most of the time the ball now seems to bounce awkwardly for him, or he's just a little off the pace, or his shot is just over. That break down after the penalty was, I think, the moment he realised it himself, but he won't quit because it's not in his nature to quit. He will keep trying to come back until somebody with a set of balls tells him it's over. Unlikely though, as the pressure of that is too much for most managers. Interestingly though, I'm pretty sure the situation is going to resolve itself anyway. Not many seem to be talking about the fact he's actually wanted for questioning in the U.S over historical sexual assault allegations and would be immediately taken in for by the police if he goes there. Meaning, of course, he can't really play the 2026 World Cup, as it's in the U.S.

Ronaldo is a part of a bigger problem in which Roberto Martinez plays a huge role.

I want to share my point of view about this issue, but I agree with 100% with what you've said. I want to see Ronaldo at the next World Cup, but as a bench player a mentor figure. He gave us everything, he's been giving us everything since 2004, it's time for him to pass the torch and let his teammates give us the joys now.

He has always been breaking down, but your assessment is right

Imagine if Roberto Martinez used his brain for once and well if he isn’t going to bench Ronaldo then how about playing with 2 up top (Ronaldo and Jota) Jota is amazing at headers and also he could be the guy to get the second ball if a cross is cleared by the defenders which is something he does a lot at Liverpool’s it makes so much sense with Neto Bruno Cancelo and Bernardo making the crosses that would’ve been a much better game plan but of course the mastermind behind Belgium’s golden generation flop won’t do it

Extra note of those opta power rankings. They really did a snap shot moment. Causing the Dutch league for instance to drop hard because Ajax had an off season. Very different if take multiple years into account.

Martinez lives in delulu land, trying to make the team work around Ronaldo was a bad idea from the get go. I mean do not get me wrong, Ronaldo has not been tragic, I mean the service he got in some games was horrific given there are some really good passers around him, some of the best in the world, in fact i was impressed with his physical condition for his age and given that semi-pro league he's playing for, but he age does not lie , you can not beat biology with sheer will and determination and playing all minutes and taking all those free kicks smells more like a ego thing, breaking records and bla bla bla which usually comes in detriment of the team, so a discussion must be had about how much is this Ronaldo's team and which manager has the balls to confront him? he can be useful against minnows but boy he needs to understand Father time does come for everyone, temper that big ego that brought him success and he'll do good things again, but you got to accept a secondary role ffs, it's not your time anymore!

I like the video. Just one thing, Milan Baros was easily in the TOP 10 strikers during 2004, so I do not understand the jibe/reference :D

My heart is calling you a liar. But my brain knows the truth 😢 Viva Ronaldo

This might be a little odd and isn't really related to the video but those images you showed of Ronaldo crying were kinda bizarre to me because there's no tears in any of them. In fact I don't remember the last time I saw Ronaldo cry with tears. Can he just not produce tears anymore?

It shouldn’t be that hard of a decision tbh. He’s been an amazing servant to the national team, but time catches up with us all eventually and his performances at the Euro’s showed he’s no longer warranting a regular starting role, but can still do a job coming off the bench. His experience and talent can still be an asset if used properly. Taking all the free kicks is crazy considering he hasn’t scored from one in a very long time and there are now better, younger players who should be starting ahead of him. Jota hardly played at the Euro’s which is just criminal. Martinez will end up failing with the team if he doesn’t cut the chord.

I very much agree with you but I think for Ronaldo it’s all or nothing. Either he’s the main guy or he’s just some guy on the team and for a guy who has been worshipped by everyone around him wherever he went. I don’t think his ego can take it, additionally I like that you lay the blame with the manager but I think that’s part of the problem. The bigger issue for me is the Portuguese FA. They’re in charge of who’s called up and who the manager is. If they’re serious about winning then they should back the manager they appoint even if it is to the detriment of their star player. Right now it feels like both them and the manager are playing a game of hot potato with addressing the Ronaldo issue.

As a Portuguese individual and an unabashed fan of CR7, I must admit that age has inevitably taken its toll. Nevertheless, I find it disheartening to witness the blame being disproportionately directed at him. Bruno and Bernardo performed poorly, and our coach lacks both backbone and competence. The responsibility for our failure lies with everyone involved. I fail to see how producing a 17-minute segment focused solely on him, when the entire team let our country down, serves any constructive purpose.

Well Portugal, you are welcome 🇪🇸

Thank you for touching such a hot topic with recognition and sensibility. In my opinion, as a Portuguese, his time is up.. but I would accept that he takes a secondary role. The problem is that I don't see him do it.

Despite being the 🐐 the guy doesn’t know when to step aside. Martinez was always a spineless bald fraud.

I am a Ronaldo fanboy through and through. I would not have started Ronaldo vs France. I would’ve subbed him in the second half, if we needed a goal.

Portuguese here. I’m grateful for CR and for all that he has done for the national team, but he is holding us back. He should not be a starter and he should not score free kicks. We’re wasting a great generation of players. Our national team has the potential to win trophies, and it is being wasted. It could be Portugal playing tomorrow, if his role was different. I feel like we played most of the games with 10 men. Again, really grateful for all that he did and his legacy, but everything comes to an end.

Bro still on that fluke hat-trick 2 years ago 😢 at least say something recent about him

Great video, couldn’t agree more. I feel like Portugal has a great team all around the pitch! Great players with great technique and knowledge of the game. The one position that has killed Portugal though is that Striker position. For over a decade we had NO strikers (unless you feel like Helder Postiga, Hugo Almeida, Eder, and Andre Silva were world class). I remember Nani and Ronaldo filling those striker roles during euro 2016. Now, though, we have options. I would love to see Felix (as much of an enigma as he is) and Ramos play together up front, for example. Or even have Jota move into striker as well. It doesn’t feel like Martinez is AFRAID of not starting Ronaldo. He’s always seemed like a very positive coach who lifts his players, which is why I think he may be trying to help give Ronaldo a chance to still show he’s the best. I think he genuinely believes that he and Ronaldo can do great things together. Anyways, tl;dr agree with the video (good stuff), Portugal has other options, and I believe Martinez wants to help Ronaldo still be the best. Thanks!🇵🇹

I said this same thing on Instagram after Portugal vs Slovenia and so many Ronaldo simps called me clueless, moron and a "hater".

Im Portuguese and I wanted him out since the world cup. A lot of Portuguese feel the same because he's not a footballer anymore. He's a retired athlete living off his past laurels. A walking commercial brand. If we are to play him as a "debt of gratitude" then let's add Figo and Eder to the squad as well.

Partly agree with you brother!

i think he still wants to play in next international competion, did he said goodbye??? somebody tell me...

My opinion its the same as yours. Just another fact Portugal (until our elimination) was the team with the most actions in total on the Euro, but it was the team that permited the least actions in our defense per 90 min, in spite of that Diogo Costa had 1 more action in total than Ronaldo in the Euro. So the GK of the team that conceds least actions to their opponent per 90 min has 1 more action in total in the Euro than the striker of the team that had most actions in total in the Euro.

That is everything everyone thinks in Portugal regarding Martinez, the tactics that he introduced in the preparation before the world cup only brought bad results and I don't get it, we did a good qualification in another system and before the tournament you are going to change to a 3 defence line up, and you only brought one player that play and was champion in the Portuguese league with to try that line up and left out other players from Sporting... the mess that he make in the game against Georgia nothing was working and he change players and not the system during the game when was clear that the system was indeed the problem. ti would also add the choices that all the coaches from the national team do after Scolari just because some players from the "Super Agent M. " need to be sold in the summer duo to end of contract, or if the player stays get a better transfer fee because the player goes and plays for the national team and get theoreticly more value and players stopped in the same club for too much time don't bring money to his business, like happened in the work cup with R. Neves ( he's a good player but in the national team he doesn't bring nothing to the game like João palhinha does and he never played before until the super agent put him in Arabia and now this euro were Nelson Semedo and Neto... And for all haters before call me a a lagarto I'm from Benfica but I recognise value in my rivals, and talke about football without "clubismo". Ps- the Portuguese press says that Ronaldo stopped following on Instagram J. Felix after the game😂 it's just exiting from the top in a bad bad way after that piers morgan it has been a nonstop down rollercoaster what a wait of a legacy pure to egoism and self-interest from a guy that only cried because I miss the opportunity to be the oldest player scoring a goal in a euro, that's the only reason the cried don't get full by his game modesty, if it was for the miss when Felix missed he should be there for him right away a few days before he also misses and once more he was not there for the kid, he's a toxic player in that squad, before he had reasons he was super machine now he's just an average player and he can't accept it, so he takes everyone down with him and once more another great Portuguese generation will be lost...

Somebody given Ronaldo a fastrack watch and tell him to move the faq on.

Portugal is experiencing the Martinez effect. He will wield the same magic he used with Belgium.

I'm a big Cristiano fan. But it's time to be honest and humble. It sucks, but he's not the player he once was! Let the youngsters take over, and help them when he can. Age catches up even to the best of them. He must accept it with humility. Also i hope he takes time to reconcile with his decline and just enjoy the few years of his remaining career, knowing he's done his best. Man it's hard to see him struggling mentally like that.