Even with Kylian Mbappe in town, Cristiano Ronaldo is the name on everyone’s lips ahead of Friday’s quarter-final showdown.
Four games in and Ronaldo is yet to score, and many are now questioning if the 39-year-old should still be in the Portugal team.
“In Portugal, everybody respects Ronaldo’s legacy, but at the same time a lot of people are asking if he should play all the matches,” says David Novo, executive editor at Portuguese newspaper Record. “I’m sure he is going to start, but the question must be: if he is not performing well, can he be replaced? It happens with every player, it has to happen with Cristiano.”
The argument for dropping Ronaldo is based around a belief the team is too focused on getting the best out of him, which stops others, such as Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes, from shining. Off the ball, there are also concerns that he cannot press opposition defenders and the team suffers as a result.
Portugal have been here before. At the World Cup in Qatar, it was then-coach Fernando Santos who boldly dropped Ronaldo for their last-16 game with Switzerland. Goncalo Ramos came in and scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win, but he has played just 24 minutes at these Euros. Ronaldo, in contrast, has played 366, more than any other outfield player for Portugal.
So, would current manager Roberto Martinez have the courage to hook Ronaldo if his struggles continue against France?
“It is a difficult question,” says Novo. “I really don’t know. I think yes, but he hasn’t shown it yet. He still is Cristiano, he still is one of the best Portuguese players and he can still make the difference in the biggest matches. I think that is the main reason why Martinez puts Ronaldo in the starting line-up. Another argument for playing Cristiano is the respect, maybe the fear, some opponents have of him.
“But it doesn’t mean he has to play 90 minutes of every match. If he is not performing well, you need to change things. If it means taking him off, it has to be done.”
Ronaldo will have his work cut out against William Saliba, who has been one of the best centre-backs of the tournament.
The fear for Portugal is that Saliba could expose Ronaldo’s physical decline, but concerns have also been raised over his mentality. He cried after he missed a penalty in Monday’s shootout win over Slovakia, and those tears have raised alarm bells. Silva threw his support behind Ronaldo on Thursday, insisting he is only “human”, and Martinez has backed him, too.
“We are used to seeing Cristiano as a machine, playing the biggest matches in the biggest competitions at the top of the top,” says Novo. “But maybe it is a different Cristiano. Of course, we saw him cry when Portugal won the Euros, when we lost the Euros, when he won the Champions League — he is an emotional guy. He deserves to cry, but not after missing a penalty. The Ronaldo from the past would miss and then do everything to score and redeem himself. Maybe he is feeling the end is near.”
Portugal have switched between a back-three and four during this Euros, and Martinez faces a dilemma as to what he does in Hamburg. He will be tempted to go with a back-four, so he so he can be closer to France’s 4-3-3 formation.
France have bigger issues, as midfielder Adrien Rabiot is suspended. It has opened the door for Eduardo Camavinga to get a first start, although Didier Deschamps may opt to move Antoine Griezmann into midfield. Griezmann has struggled for form and could even be dropped, with Ousmane Dembele an option on the right flank.
