Should we part ways with Ronaldo? Portugal faces a key decision

As a world-famous football superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo (Cristiano Ronaldo) has scored 143 goals for the Portuguese national team and has achieved brilliant success. However, with him set to miss at least one World Cup match and Portugal moving away from over-reliance on his individual abilities, it may be time for head coach Roberto Martinez to part ways with the "team icon".

In January 2023, shortly after Martinez was appointed head coach of the Portuguese national team, we met for coffee in west London. He was visiting some players at the time, and the conversation naturally turned to Cristiano Ronaldo, who was playing overseas - should the football legend still stay in the national team?

I had reservations at the time. Ronaldo was 37 at the time, had just signed for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nasser, and seemed ready to retire from top-flight football and enjoy the end of his career. Martinez has always been good at dealing with interpersonal relationships. He firmly defended Ronaldo, praising his investment in training and his contribution to improving the overall level of the team, completely ignoring those arguments that "Cristiano Ronaldo has passed his peak".

That was 34 months ago. Since then, Ronaldo has scored 25 goals for the Portuguese team, setting his personal national team scoring record to 143 goals. This includes goals against Croatia, Switzerland, Denmark and other top 20 FIFA teams; and in this summer's Nations League final, he defeated the world's number one Spanish team with a wonderful volley.

Last month, Ronaldo also scored two goals in the World Cup qualifier against Hungary. Therefore, it is obviously too early to conclude that the 40-year-old star is "passed". Despite all the signs that the Portuguese team needs to get rid of its dependence on Ronaldo, Martinez still has a difficult decision to make. Ronaldo has made 226 appearances for the national team and has long been the core of the team; and by the 2030 World Cup - the tournament is mainly held in Portugal and Spain - he may still continue to play a symbolic role.

This should be a purely football decision, but it involves emotions, national pride, political factors and even commercial interests. It can be called the most critical decision in Martinez's coaching career. Cristiano Ronaldo is not only a player, but also a national symbol. He has huge support among the media and the public and is a cultural icon on a global scale.

Now, perhaps it is the right time to make a change - Ronaldo was punished for elbowing Irish player Dara O'Shea and will miss some World Cup matches. Martinez believes that Ronaldo should be suspended for at least one game, although he argued that Ronaldo was subject to verbal and physical provocation and asked for leniency, emphasizing that this is the first time that Ronaldo has been red-handed in his long international career. However, an elbow strike is an act of violence and may result in a three-match ban according to FIFA regulations.

C Ronaldo has missed one game. In his absence, Portugal performed well on Sunday, beating Armenia 9-1 to successfully qualify for next year's World Cup. If Portugal ultimately advances, Ronaldo will miss at least the first game of the group stage, and may even miss two games. He can only hope that the suspension is not extended.

Wayne Rooney was lucky back then. In the 2006 World Cup, he was only suspended for two games for his foul on Portuguese player Ricardo Carvalho. At that time, Ronaldo also winked at the bench, as if to celebrate "the success of the strategy." The two were teammates at Manchester United at the time; if Rooney's "old rival" was punished more severely, someone in England might be happy.

Such a result could have simplified Martinez's decision-making, but the reality is extremely low. FIFA undoubtedly hopes that Ronaldo can participate in his sixth World Cup - he has huge influence, can attract the attention of mainstream media and social networks, and is an excellent marketing resource. Think about it: Cristiano Ronaldo has more than 1 billion followers on social media, while FIFA's official account is only one-tenth of that. For FIFA, Ronaldo is a powerful tool to promote football.

C Ronaldo traveled to Canada, Mexico and the United States to participate in FIFA activities, involving huge amounts of money. There has been speculation that this might influence FIFA's judgment when sentencing, but such claims have always been refuted by FIFA - who insist that all disciplinary decisions are made independently.

However, without this recognized great star in football, will the top event of the World Cup still have the same charm? The TV station must hope that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will make an appearance to bring an end to the "Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Messi" competition that has lasted for many years - after all, he is a guarantee of ratings.

Now, the penalty area has become Ronaldo's "office", where he moves and directs. But here's the problem: He's no longer mobile enough to be a consistent threat at the highest level. Although Ronaldo attaches great importance to physical maintenance, age and time are no opponents. He still knows where to run, but top defenders can already predict his intentions. Although he has still scored goals recently, his reasons for being selected for the national team are gradually weakening.

Even such a decision will inevitably cause controversy. During the player's suspension, expelling this legend who has made great achievements for the national team is even more unacceptable than bidding farewell to the great Eusebio. Martinez is under tremendous pressure; for the head coach, the easiest option is undoubtedly to keep Ronaldo on the team.

But that would be the wrong decision. This should not be just a decision about football...Armenia's elimination was due to strength. They are ranked 104th in the FIFA rankings, just above Kyrgyzstan and Madagascar. However, Ronaldo's absence seems to have freed up the team mentally and performed better - perhaps because they no longer want to be called "Cristiano Ronaldo's team".

Bruno Fernandez and Joao Neves both scored hat tricks, while Gonzalo Ramos, Renato Vega and Francisco Conceicao also contributed goals. Ronaldo's supporters may point out that Portugal currently lacks a truly top center forward.. Gonzalo Ramos has scored just 10 goals in 22 international appearances and despite being just 24 and coming of age at PSG - he has recently scored crucial goals against Barcelona and Nice - has yet to break into the top ranks. Perhaps only by completely stepping out of Ronaldo's shadow can he truly unleash his potential.

There are many outstanding players in the Portuguese team, from Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva to Joao Neves, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, Mateus Nunez, Bruno Fernandez and Rafael Leao, all of them are first-rate. Without Ronaldo, the Portuguese team is still competitive. And if they really choose to say goodbye to Ronaldo, they should thank him for the inspiration and motivation he has brought to the team over the past two decades. The international break next March will be an ideal time for Lisbon to hold a grand farewell ceremony for him. But the question is: Does Martinez have the courage to let go of this legend?