There’s no doubt about Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy as one of the greatest footballers of all time — the countless records, accolades, and achievements speak for themselves. The twilight hours of his storied career, however, tell a different story.
The Portuguese forward has spent nearly four years playing for Al-Nassr, quickly becoming the poster child for the Saudi Pro League’s push for international recognition, and has been raking the goals in almost as quickly as his eye-watering salary. To be fair, if I were offered a contract worth €200 million a year I’d be on the next flight, but as he edges towards a landmark thousand career goals, it can be argued that setting up shop in a far less competitive league is just stat-padding.
But what happens when you’re no longer good enough? He’s the cornerstone of his Al-Nassr side, sure, but the same can no longer be said of his place in the Portuguese National Team. After missing out on World Cup glory this summer, many thought that time might be up for the 41-year-old, and questioned whether he should have been starting for his country. Truth be told, Ronaldo’s place in the Seleção just isn’t a sure thing anymore.
And therein lies the central issue of what we’ve seen over the international break: Portugal seem ready to move on, Ronaldo doesn’t. After staying on the bench for only the third time in his international career against Norway, tensions with head coach Jorge Jesus led to the Portugal captain’s departure from international duty.
Ronaldo has since stated that he was told he’d play against Norway, but despite warming up, was not brought on. Following the snub, Jesus and several of Ronaldo’s advisors, including Al-Nassr’s Sporting Director, drew up a list of statements for his next press conference, then ‘validated’ by the player. In brief, the statements called Ronaldo “someone of the stature of Pelé or Maradona,” reaffirmed the team’s need for him, and lauded his dedication to Portugal fans. Sounds to me more like a forced confession than a coach talking about his player, which is perhaps why Jesus didn’t stick to the script, and Ronaldo headed back to Saudi Arabia.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a slap in the face for Jesus to have gone back on his word, but the fallout has said more of Ronaldo’s attitude than anyone else’s. Simply put, no one should be bigger than the team, whether it’s your first call-up or you’re the record goalscorer.
It’s not quite over yet, but the end is certainly nigh. And however you want to put it, this whole malarkey is a cautionary tale for letting your legacy get in the way. Quit while you’re ahead, leave the football before it leaves you, and without meaning to hark back to a lifetime of comparisons, take a page out of a certain Argentinian’s book. Instead of chucking his toys out of the pram when he inevitably becomes surplus to requirements, Messi is leaving the international stage in style.
“Cristiano Ronaldo Croatia v Portugal 2 July 2026-070” by Bryan Berlin is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
