Cristiano Ronaldo failed to find the back of the net in Portugal’s opening game against the Czech Republic, sparking rumors that he might be benched for the upcoming match against Türkiye.
In the game against the Czech Republic, the superstar played the full 90 minutes but was unable to capitalize on numerous dangerous opportunities created by his teammates. Although Ronaldo’s performance wasn’t poor, as the team’s leading striker and a key figure in their championship aspirations, his inability to convert critical chances could hinder Portugal’s progress in the tournament.
Ronaldo was silent in the match against the Czech Republic but his overall performance was still quite good (Photo/source: Getty).
Before Portugal began their journey at EURO 2024, there was much controversy surrounding Ronaldo’s participation in his sixth EURO. Former France player Frank Leboeuf said that 18 months of playing in Saudi Arabia had diminished the character and class of the owner of 5 Golden Ball titles. Leboeuf also affirmed that with Ronaldo, Portugal would hardly go far, let alone win EURO 2024.
Frank Leboeuf’s comments prompted coach Roberto Martinez to defend Ronaldo: “Cristiano Ronaldo entered the national team on merit, not just because of his name. Cristiano has scored 50 goals in 51 games, which is consistent with the club in the tournament. And don’t forget he scored 10 goals in our qualifying round.”
“Cristiano Ronaldo is a great goalscorer and for us he is someone who can take advantage of every opportunity. He has the ability to stretch the opposition defence and create space. Although over the years his style of play has changed a bit, I would say that Ronaldo absolutely deserves to be in the national team.”
However, Ronaldo’s disappointing form and performance in the match against the Czech Republic may force coach Martinez to reconsider. According to A Bola, the possibility of CR7 being benched when Portugal faces Turkey in the second match, taking place at 11pm on June 22, is entirely possible.
The newspaper also said that coach Martinez will carefully consider the impact of this decision. Against the Czech Republic, Ronaldo played the whole match. Against Turkey, there are two options for CR7: He can start the match on the bench and enter the field at the beginning of the second half, or if Ronaldo is in the starting lineup but continues to waste opportunities, he will have to leave the field before the 60th minute.
Ronaldo is at risk of having to sit on the bench in upcoming matches (Photo/source: Getty).
Ronaldo’s current situation has many similarities with what happened at the 2022 World Cup. In the group stage, CR7 still played a key role for the Portuguese team. However, when entering the knockout round, coach Fernando Santos decided to reserve Ronaldo for Goncalo Ramos from the match against Switzerland in the round of 16. When Portugal lost to Morocco in the quarter-finals, Ronaldo was only put on the field from the beginning of the second half.
