As Lionel Messi dey prepare for hero farewell for him successful international career, Cristiano Ronaldo own Portugal career fit don end with him run down tunnel for final whistle of game wey him no play.
Messi, 39, decide to retire from international football after World Cup. Ronaldo, 41, choose to continue for Portugal. But possibility dey say Messi Argentina career go last small days longer, as home friendly against Benin on Tuesday na him final game.
Ronaldo bin vex say dem make am warm up but no bring am on against Norway for Nations League. He waka comot from Portugal camp after he find out say he no go start against Denmark too. The Al-Nassr forward don score 146 goals and win 234 caps for Portugal, both world records.
After the high-profile fall-out with new boss Jorge Jesus, wey also be big character wey no dey back down, Ronaldo dey face big decision. Jesus insist say Ronaldo welcome back if he want return, and talks between Ronaldo, him representatives and Portuguese FA dey ongoing as dem look for solution. Ronaldo no fit play forever, but this no be how he expect him international career to end.
Him fans dey loyal, social media full of posts wey support Ronaldo and criticize Jesus, while some fans and plenty Portugal media don criticize wetin dem see as selfish behaviour. Before Portugal next match against Denmark in November, big decision dey for one of world greatest players.
Everything happen quick. After World Cup, Portugal replace Roberto Martinez with Jesus, wey been be Ronaldo boss for Al-Nassr last season. Less than two weeks ago, Ronaldo talk say: ‘I had a conversation with our president, with our coach. I still believe that I’m able to help the national team to reach what they want.’
Things still look okay when he start for 1-0 win over Wales. Jesus tell Ronaldo say he go dey bench for next game against Norway. After dem tell am to warm up for part of the game, he remain unused substitute for Portugal game for first time in 18 years.
Guillem Balague, wey write book about Ronaldo in 2015, talk say: ‘He gets asked to warm up for the whole of the second half, practically. There are tacit rules in football: you don’t do that to Pele, to Diego Maradona, to Lionel Messi, to Cristiano, right? That’s what he’s seen, that you don’t do that to those kind of players.’ And as final whistle go, he waka down tunnel instead of going to fans with him teammates.
Jesus talk say no fall out, but confirm Ronaldo no go start next game with Denmark either. At that point Ronaldo leave training camp and write for social media: ‘In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated.’
Portugal FA president Pedro Proenca fly go Copenhagen, land 02:30 in morning, to try smooth things with Ronaldo but e no work. He since talk say: ‘He is in the national team on sporting merit, and that must be unquestionable. We have to pay tribute to Ronaldo.’ After beating Norway on Sunday for final Nations League match, again without Ronaldo, Jesus talk say: ‘If he wants to, he’ll return to the national team. We can talk before the next call-up, but Cris is the one who’s going to decide. He’s the one who should decide how he wants to end his time with the national team.’
For several billboards in Lisbon, posters go up praising Ronaldo and criticizing Jesus. Dem read for Portuguese: ‘Thank you Cristiano Ronaldo for everything you did for Portugal. You will always be our captain. Jorge Jesus was not up to the task. Lack of sensitivity. Treating a captain wrongly. Inflated ego.’ One bin place next to Estadio da Luz, home of Benfica, wey Jesus manage to three league titles. For Denmark game, some fans wear T-shirts wey spell out ‘Love you Jesus’ while others wear full Ronaldo merch. Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund celebrate him goal with him idol Ronaldo trademark ‘siuuu’, something he don do before when e score against Portugal.
Portugal newspapers get different views. Record, wey the forward own shares inside, talk say ‘Ronaldo leaves after clash with Jesus’ and Jornal de Noticias talk say na ‘the end of a historic era’. Bola talk ‘A sad goodbye,’ while Jogo go for ‘CR7 turns his back on the national team’. Meanwhile, videos post online of angry fans wey tear their Portugal jerseys. Dem boo Jesus and Proenca as dem leave building for Copenhagen. But many foreign fans dey support Portugal only because of Ronaldo, so dem no necessarily represent views of actual Portuguese supporters. Portugal fan Maria Ribeiro, from Lisbon, talk say: ‘It is so hard for all us fans. We all love him but it is getting too much now. It is hard to imagine Portugal without Ronaldo but maybe this is the time. There is too much arguing between ourselves.’
Ronaldo search for record 1,000 career goals remain, but he go finish am at club level for Saudi Arabia? He don score 979 times for Portugal, Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr. While him old rival Messi score eight goals and assist four more to carry Argentina go summer World Cup final, Portugal fall for last-16 stage. Ronaldo score three goals for tournament but fail to impact their loss to Spain, leading BBC pundit Chris Sutton to talk say he dey ‘waddling around the pitch like a grandad’. Ronaldo former United teammate Wayne Rooney add: ‘He is a genius, a superstar. What he has given to football and millions of people is something very rare. He will be disappointed because he believed he could win this tournament. But time gets us all. It’s a sad day for football.’
For last nine years of Ronaldo international career, Portugal win percentage without him slightly better, 66% to 63%, and dem score 2.7 goals a game without him compared to 2.1 with him. The two biggest wins for their history, 9-0 over Luxembourg and 9-1 against Armenia, come for last two qualifying matches wey he miss, both through suspension. Journalist Marcus Alves, wey cover Portugal, talk say: ‘How much gratitude is enough? That’s a question that Portuguese fans have been asking for a few years now. The whole soap opera that seems to follow the mere presence of the 41-year-old striker got to a point where patience was running out. Of Portugal’s last five coaches, Ronaldo had issues with four of them – Carlos Queiroz, Paulo Bento, Fernando Santos and now Jesus. That’s too much distraction when Portugal have arguably their best generation ever.’
