CR7 and 10 Others!

The World Cup has kicked off, and with it, a favorite pastime for many Portuguese: blaming Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7) for every single setback the National Team faces.

I also believe CR7 is responsible and, yes, culpable. But it's for carrying our national team on his back for 23 years; for us becoming European champions in 2016; runners-up in Euro 2004 (his first major international competition); 4th place in the 2006 World Cup; and winners of the Nations League in 2019 and 2025. Or do you think all of this would have come to Portugal without CR7?!...

No, my friends, it wouldn't have. Ronaldo, at 41, is obviously not the Ronaldo of 10 years ago, when we were European champions. But he remains indispensable to our team. That's my opinion, as a football fan and armchair coach, just like each one of us.

As José Mourinho, the most successful Portuguese coach of all time, rightly points out, Ronaldo's presence on the field commands immense respect from opponents. Without him, the team becomes almost ordinary. Generally, he draws no fewer than 2 or 3 defenders, opening up spaces for our other fantastic players – the ones who, according to countless football pundits, only play worse because of CR7's presence in the team – to showcase their full artistry!

But... did you see that artistry against DR Congo? I confess that, with one or two exceptions (João Neves, for example), our performance was very poor, with CR7 playing at the same (low) level as the team – but then again, how could it be different if he was rarely served properly? (He had two half-chances in the second half, which he didn't convert, it's true, but that was it).

This is in addition to how the team was structured and the timing of substitutions (bringing on Gonçalo Ramos with less than 10 minutes left, just to play with two strikers, is baffling!) – meaning Roberto Martínez, who already managed to squander much of Belgium's potential during his tenure as their national coach, seems intent on doing the same with Portugal.

So, let's put an end to the slander, pettiness, and envy, which are, unfortunately, so characteristic here – and let's not blame the truly culpable!

In Portugal, we have one of the most successful players in the history of world football; he has become far greater than the country he proudly represents; he rose through life by sheer will, a result of his talent, dedication, and professionalism; he gave us what we never thought we could achieve in terms of footballing success; he is an extraordinary calling card anywhere in the world, an example to all in terms of attitude, work ethic, and values, both on and off the pitch; and throughout his career, he has always responded to criticism and adversity in the only way he knows how: with goals and titles – and a good portion of us Portuguese only know how to criticize and blame him?!...

For goodness sake! Do we not like those who succeed?!... In any other country in the world, there wouldn't even be a debate: it would be CR7 and 10 others. Even at 41, he remains incredibly useful – provided, whenever possible, the team makes the most of his presence on the field! This is what I believe – and that's why I'm putting it in writing here.