DORTMUND, Germany — Cristiano Ronaldo remains the king of selfies, even at 39, 20 years after appearing in his first major tournament with Portugal. But it's probably a sign of his waning influence on his national team that he recorded more selfie attempts from photo-chasing fans than significant contributions for his country during Saturday's 3-0 win against Turkey.
Six fans, four during the Group F match in Dortmund and two as the players were leaving the field, ran onto the field with the sole intention of taking a photo with Ronaldo in a clear violation of Euro 2024 security. The former Real striker Madrid and Manchester United is such a global superstar that it is no surprise that fans, young and old, are willing to risk being thrown out of a stadium just to have a brief photo with him.
But Ronaldo is in Germany to play football, to help inspire Portugal to a second European title in three tournaments, and the harsh reality is that his powers are waning. The selfies may end up being a distraction from their performance against Turkey, but no one can escape the truth forever and Ronaldo, who was once the man who carried the hopes of a nation, may now end up holding his team back if they advance to the final. last stages.
Ronaldo added another chapter to his incredible record book by registering an eighth assist at the Euros when he set up Bruno Fernandes for Portugal's third goal. He now shares the record for assists in European championships with Karel Poborsky, the former Czech midfielder.
But with statistics, you can give and take. The assist milestone is the positive; The downside is that Saturday's match marked the sixth straight game in a major tournament in which Ronaldo has failed to score, his longest goal drought in World Cups and Euros.
The fact that Ronaldo is even playing at Euro 2024 is a remarkable testament to his talent, fitness and dedication. His first tournament was Euro 2004, when he burst onto the scene with another teenage England sensation named Wayne Rooney.
Rooney's last major tournament was Euro 2016 and at that point he was already in free fall. Since then, Rooney, another former Manchester United striker, has held four managerial positions and is now sitting on the Euro 2024 experts' couch. By contrast, Ronaldo has spent the last eight years winning trophies and breaking all sorts of records. , so his contribution to the game can never be downplayed.
But every player, no matter how good, starts to decline at some point and Ronaldo is now that guy. He now doesn't move as freely and his once-quick steps have become more predictable to defenders.
Even his assist to Fernandes in the 56th minute, when he selflessly squared the ball towards the Manchester United midfielder despite having a clear view of goal, was a sign of his transformation into a player who knows that there are now more influential teammates at his side. side.
In his prime, Ronaldo would not even have contemplated passing up a scoring opportunity, but Portugal coach Roberto Martínez, who has resisted calls to look to the future by using Ronaldo more sparingly, said the assist was a sign of its quality.
“We saw something spectacular from Cristiano,” Martínez said. “To have him, an absolute scorer, pass the ball to provide the assist. It was a pure moment of Portuguese football that should be shown in all world football academies. He showed that the team is the most important thing, that it means more than scoring any goal” .
There is some truth to Martínez's comments, but what elevated Ronaldo far beyond his contemporaries (aside from Lionel Messi) was his ruthless eye for goal and his determination to seize even the slightest opportunity. That's why he scored so many goals.
But he hasn't scored in 180 minutes at Euro 2024 and hasn't looked close to doing so. His expected goal, or xG, after those two games is just 1.11, so he's not in many positions to score either.
There was a comical element to Portugal's first goal, when Ronaldo fell in front of goal while trying to reach a Nuno Mendes cross. After Ronaldo stumbled, Bernardo Silva followed him and scored his first goal in a major tournament to give Portugal the lead.
Ronaldo was also indirectly involved in Portugal's second, when his failure to run onto João Cancelo's pass led Turkish defender Samat Akaydin to misjudge his pass to goalkeeper Altay Bayandir, who missed the ball and saw out Ronaldo's strong backpass. Akaydin rolls into the net. That calamitous goal made the match safe for Portugal and also confirmed their position as winners of Group F, but Ronaldo's pass to Fernandes at the start of the second half sealed their victory.
Portugal is a team that can participate in Euro 2024. They have a lot of talent in all areas of the field, but Ronaldo is no longer the player he was and it is difficult to imagine him worrying the defenses of Spain, Germany or France. end of the tournament.
“It's important to understand what a player brings,” Martínez said before the game against Turkey, defending his decision to start Ronaldo. “Cristiano brings experience, he brings scoring opportunities, a way of opening spaces.
“He is in the national team because he deserves to be here, just look at what he has done and what he has done in the last competitions.”
Ronaldo's story is indisputable, but in the here and now, Portugal might finally need to look to the future.
