"Cristiano Ronaldo? That's life: you get older and more experienced"

Brazilian football legend and 1994 World Cup winner Romário recently spoke with RMC Sport, where he defended Cristiano Ronaldo's continued presence in the national team and assessed CR7's performance at the 2026 World Cup.

When asked about the criticism leveled at Cristiano Ronaldo, Romário was unequivocal, stating it's not yet time for the Portugal captain to retire. "I believe it's up to the Portugal coach to decide if Cristiano Ronaldo plays or not. In the first match, there was a draw against DR Congo, and Cristiano Ronaldo didn't have a good performance. As he's one of the biggest names in world football today, expectations are naturally very high. In the second game, Cristiano showed who he is. So, now people have a different opinion of him," he affirmed, adding that the Portuguese forward should pursue the goal of 1,000 career goals.

"Ronaldo showed in the match against Uzbekistan that it's not time to stop. I believe Cristiano Ronaldo should continue to pursue the goal of 1,000 goals. People should respect Cristiano, but they also need to understand that you can't compare today's Cristiano with the Cristiano of 30 or 28 years old. That's life: you get older and more experienced. And as for Cristiano, I believe he, better than any of us, will know exactly when to stop," he commented, concluding: "Knowing when to stop isn't easy. But, in his case, I wouldn't stop either. I would continue until I reached 1,000 goals."

Regarding the 2026 World Cup, Romário had no doubt in naming France as the leading power in world football. "I'm impressed with the French team, which, for me, is currently the best national team in the world," he stated, also commenting on the current state of the Brazilian national team and Neymar's return.

"Even if he's not yet 100% physically, Neymar can be a player capable of helping the Brazilian national team become champions," he considered, addressing Ancelotti's work with the Canarinha: "Personally, I would have preferred a Brazilian, but he has the team under control and has made some very interesting choices. One of the things that impressed me about him was that, from the moment he arrived, he showed determination to learn the language. This demonstrates that he is truly driven by the idea that he came to win the World Cup."