In the aftermath of Portugal’s elimination from Euro 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo faced both support and criticism.
Former English player Rio Ferdinand came to Ronaldo’s defense, emphasizing that Portugal wouldn’t have qualified for the tournament without him, pointing to Ronaldo’s 10 goals in the qualifiers at the age of 39.
“Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal wouldn’t have qualified for the Euros. He scored 10 goals in the qualifiers at the age of 39,” Ferdinand stated.
However, RMC journalist Daniel Riolo disagreed, criticizing Ronaldo’s performance in the quarter-finals, describing him as ineffective and a hindrance to his teammates’ development.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has been blocking the emergence of certain players for years and contributes nothing to the team. Tonight, Portugal played with 10 men. Cristiano Ronaldo ruined Portugal’s campaign. It’s incredibly sad and pathetic,” Riolo asserted.
These sentiments were echoed in part by sports analyst Nabil Djellit, who described Portugal’s defeat as terrible and suggested that the coach should have substituted Ronaldo during the match.
“Portugal played with 10 men. Terrible to say, but tonight, Cristiano Ronaldo was the Joe Biden of football. Leaving him on the field damaged his legacy,” Djellit commented.
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