“You’re no longer at your peak”, “It’s enough” - Cristiano Ronaldo sent honest verdict by fans after Portugal get knocked out of Euro 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have been knocked out of Euro 2024 in the quarter-final clash against Kylian Mbappe's France. After ninety minutes, the match remained goalless and it went to extra time. The teams remained locked at 0-0 and the referee finally blew the whistle after 120 minutes to take the game to penalties.
Portugal lost on penalties after an unfortunate miss by Joao Felix as his shot hit the woodwork and stayed out. The tie ended with Cristiano Ronaldo's side losing 3-5 on penalties.
Portuguese fans have finally reacted to Cristiano's lackluster display for Portugal and have expressed their frustration on X. Some of their reactions are as follows:
"Portugal need to make their mind up: Do they want to win another major trophy, or do they want to feed Ronaldo's ego and continue pretending that he isn't a completely useless footballer. You can either chase silverware or chase shirts sales. You can't have both," justified one fan.
"ronaldo come off the pitch. Please bro. Its enough. You’re the best please just come off the pitch," quipped another.
"Cristiano Ronaldo, your remarkable talent and dedication have left an indelible mark on football. Your achievements for Portugal and various clubs are a testament to your greatness. However, it's evident that you're no longer at your peak. It's time to retire and rest, proud of the extraordinary legacy you've built. Thank you for all the joy you've brought to the game," inferred another Portugal fan on X.
Many other fans urged the Ballon d'Or winner himself to analyze his performances and come to the conclusion that he doesn't fit the team anymore.
"Ronaldo must analyse his games and realise he’s not got it anymore and he’s a hindrance on this national team?" urged one fan on X.
"After this tourney i think is better for Ronaldo to retire... It was a ghosts in all the 5 games played," opined another fan.
"RONALDO SHOULD RETIRE," the frustration was evident in many fans.
One fan analyzed the Portuguese performance in the Euro 2024 quarter finals and inferred that all players can afford to be proud of their display barring Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes. Furthermore, they hoped for the departure of Cristiano and coach Roberto Martinez before FIFA World Cup 2026.
"Glad to see Ronaldo Gone hindered this attack so badly and hopefully Martinez gone before 2026. The 2 biggest problems in this tournament came back to bite us rest of the players today barring BRUNO can hold their heads up high did their jobs," commented the fan.
"playing with 10 men is a choice. Portugal should decide if they want to win another major tournament or if they want to keep feeding Ronaldo's ego," agreed another.
"Ronaldo: it's over...," concluded one fan.
Cristiano Ronaldo caught consoling Pepe after Euro 2024 quarter-final loss
Portuguese veteran defender Pepe was inconsolable after his side's heartbreaking defeat in the Euro 2024 quarter-final clash against Kylian Mbappe's France. In the wake of Theo Hernandez's final spot kick, Pepe broke into tears as his side crashed out of possibly his last international tournament.
At 41 years old, Pepe is still Portugal's ace defender and was crucial in the team's Euro 2024 run. The Porto defender has played a total of 140 games for the national team and has scored eight goals.
On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo's Euro 2024 campaign was anything but memorable. The Portuguese talisman failed to leave a mark in any of the games for his side and ended the tournament with zero goals and just one assist.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo has finished his European Championship career with the most goals (14), joint most assists (7), and highest number of appearances in the competition.