Football
oi-Gaurav Sharma
Cristiano Ronaldo’s status as one of football’s all-time greats hardly needs qualification. But his latest contretemps with the Portugal national team has been bound to fuel new scrutiny of the veteran forward’s off-field activities.
Ronaldo returned to the fold after uncertainty about his national team future. After a disappointing 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign and transition in the team’s leadership, it was widely speculated that the veteran could put an end to his international career. Instead, Ronaldo continued to play for the national team under new manager Jorge Jesus.
Veteran footballer Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent departure from the Portugal national team setup before Nations League fixtures sparked mixed reactions, with Zinedine Zidane showing solidarity and Braga president Antonio Salvador questioning his conduct as captain.
His return, however, was not without incident. Ronaldo was forced to leave the setup before Nations League fixtures following reports of disagreements with the team management. The incident was later attributed to communication issues, with the forward clarifying that he would remain committed to Portugal.
The incident has caused mixed reactions from influential figures in the Portuguese and wider world football community.
Zinedine Zidane, who worked with Ronaldo in his prime spell as Real Madrid manager, expressed great solidarity with the Portuguese legend. Zidane spoke about Ronaldo’s incredible impact on Real Madrid in their era of three consecutive Champions League triumphs.
“Cristiano Ronaldo made me win incredible trophies. Hats off to you, Cris. We must salute his great career the right way. I was lucky to have him with me,” said Zidane, who also expressed his utter respect for Ronaldo.
But not everyone shared in the same view of Ronaldo’s latest episode.
Braga president Antonio Salvador acknowledged Ronaldo’s legendary status but argued that his decision to leave the national team was hardly a choice he felt was easy to make, given his role as Portugal’s captain.
Salvador said Ronaldo would forever be held up as one of the greats of Portuguese football, but described his conduct in the incident as “not the best attitude”.
The Braga chief also said he was not entirely sure about the ins and outs of the disagreement between Ronaldo and the managers of the national team, but felt that leaving the national team while in the armband was not a choice that had been made with due consideration.
The mixed reception from Zidane and Salvador highlights the general consensus that surrounds Ronaldo’s latest international contretemps: adulation for his remarkable record will always run deep, but there will never be any lessening of expectations for the conduct of the country’s senior-most player.
