Portugal men's soccer (football) team bowed out of the Euro 2024 tournament with a 0-0 loss (5-3 penalties) to France in the quarterfinals. As has been the case for the past two decades, the team was led by their transcendent striker Cristiano Ronaldo. The only problem is that he is now 39.
Long considered one of the great players in the World finishing in the top three of the Ballon d'Or award (MVP in men’s international soccer) 12 times including 5 first places finishes, Cristiano Ronaldo has not only led the Portugal team, but also has been the best player on the best teams in the best leagues for decades. That distinction came to a crashing halt a couple of years ago when he was unceremoniously benched while playing for Manchester United in the Premier League.
Father Time is undefeated, and Cristiano Ronaldo is the latest to learn this lesson.
Despite evidence of his decline, Portugal not only inserted him into the starting line-up, but also once again built the team around him, accentuating his strengths while covering up his weaknesses. Not surprisingly he played nearly every single minute in the tournament.
Some thought this plan was a mistake. For example, the ESPN commentator Gab Marcotti wrote an article on this subject which began by first summarizing Ronaldo’s poor performance in the tournament:
“The numbers are cold and merciless. Ronaldo took 23 shots in this tournament, the second most by any player failing to score in the Euros since the group stage format was introduced in 1980. His expected goals of 3.51 without finding the net are the most ever at a major men's tournament since 1980.”
Indeed, he had not started in the knockout rounds of the World Cup two years earlier:
“The odd thing here is that this is one boil that had already been lanced. Ronaldo had been dropped for the knockout rounds by Martinez's predecessor, Fernando Santos, at the Qatar World Cup just 18 months ago.”
At the tippy top highest levels of competition, where the stakes are the highest, small differences in performance can lead to decisive changes in outcome. And make no mistake Renaldo’s decline has been crystal clear. Whether by the “eye test”, by topline statistics like goals scored, or by sports analytic metrics of his tournament performance quoted above, he is not the player he used to be.
Of course it was not incumbent on Ronaldo to bench himself, but the team manager Roberto Martinez and others in charge should have made the decision to put the best team possible on the playing pitch:
"Was he expecting Ronaldo to signal to the bench and say "Boss, I'm exhausted, it's not happening for me today, let's make a change?" That would be delusional. Elite athletes thrive on self-confidence and self-belief. Ronaldo spews it from every pore. Expecting him to take himself out of the game is just silly."
What were the consequences of letting Cristiano Ronaldo lead the team and play such a prominent role? in the opinion of the soccer expert Gab Marcotti:
"Ronaldo's legacy is secure. It doesn't need to be preserved. Maybe if Martinez had realized it earlier, maybe if he'd seen him as just another one of his players -- like he was at the end, applauding the fans and consoling his teammates -- Portugal would be in the semifinals."
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