By Cristiano Ronaldo, the celebrated captain of Portugal, is facing criticism for his performance at Euro 2024. Despite being a legendary figure in football, Ronaldo’s recent record with free-kicks has been disappointing, with only one successful attempt out of 60 at major tournaments. His overall contribution at Euro 2024 has also been underwhelming, with 20 shots and no goals to his name.
The persistence of Ronaldo to take free-kicks, despite a series of misses, has become a noticeable issue. His teammates have seemingly accepted his insistence on taking set-pieces, even though his attempts have not yielded results.
While Ronaldo’s poor free-kick success rate has become a topic of humor, it’s his overall influence on Portugal’s performance that raises concern. The team seems unable to move past Ronaldo’s past glories, reminiscent of an artist who lingers for one last applause.
In his 11th major tournament, Ronaldo continues to be the focal point of Portugal’s strategy, but the justification for this role is fading. This situation mirrors his time at Manchester United, where he could no longer maintain the vigor of his younger days. Although his presence was once synonymous with scoring, now, even goals are scarce.
Ronaldo has a history of propelling Portugal to success in international tournaments, contributing to their journey to multiple semi-finals and finals over two decades. However, the current Ronaldo is a shadow of his former self, with a significantly higher expected goals (xG) than any other Portuguese player at Euro 2024, even after missing a penalty against Slovenia.
Despite creating opportunities for his teammates, Ronaldo has squandered many chances himself. His shot tally surpasses even that of entire teams, yet he remains goalless. His emotional response to a missed penalty against Slovenia revealed a deeper struggle, as he comes to terms with the diminishing prowess that once made him a formidable force.
Ronaldo’s acknowledgment that this will be his last European Championship reflects a poignant acceptance of his waning abilities. His commitment to the national team remains unwavering, but the tournament has been a growing source of frustration, starting from the opening game against the Czech Republic.
As Portugal prepares for the quarter-final against France, there are increasing calls for Ronaldo to be benched. Fernando Santos previously substituted him during the World Cup last-16 game against Switzerland, leading to a resounding victory. However, Ronaldo’s current coach, Roberto Martinez, has not indicated any plans to bench him, praising Ronaldo’s leadership and resilience.
Ronaldo’s determination was evident when he took the first penalty in Portugal’s shoot-out victory, but for Portugal to repeat their 2016 final win against France, they will need Ronaldo to rediscover some of his old magic, if it still exists within him.
