Cristiano Ronaldo still plays a critical role in the Portugal national team, as ascertained by his compatriot Bruno Fernandes, who has had to come to the defense of the old man who is being claimed to be weakening the overall performance of the team.
Fernandes emphasized the exceptional quality of Ronaldo in making games, which the 40-year-old continues to make room and room to other players. According to Fernandes, the ability of Cristiano inside the box to attract defenders and offer opportunities to colleagues makes the striker a very high-level player. He likened the impact of Ronaldo to other younger forwards such as Goncalo Ramos of Paris Saint-Germain who is an adept dribbler and diagonal-runner but Ronaldo adds another dimension within the penalty box.
The discussion regarding the presence of Ronaldo in the national team also escalated along with the 9-1 crush of the Portuguese on the Armenian team in the last world cup qualifier that Ronaldo did not even play. In spite of this remarkable triumph, Fernandes is sure that the presence of Ronaldo gives irrefutable value to the team. It is our fault partially that Cristiano is not playing. We should not be concerned whether Cristiano is playing on the field, as Cristiano can give us things, added Fernandes.
The statistics of Ronaldo are eloquent. He is the all-time highest scorer in men international goals with 143 in 226 international appearances since his debut in 2003. He does not only score, but his movement and the positioning provide other players who are attacking with space to move.
Doubts about the future of Ronaldo with Portugal were cast after he was benched by his former coach Fernando Santos in the 2022 world cup. Nevertheless, with the present manager, Roberto Martínez, Ronaldo has once again found a regular place in the starting line, which has been inspired by good performances with the Saudi Pro League team Al Nassr.
With the next year big tournament approaching, the words of Fernandes are vital in supporting the message that Ronaldo is not over yet. The experience, leadership and changing the game skills remain to be priceless assets to the national team.
