Ronaldo is far from being done: Portugal

Author of two doubles against Liechtenstein (4-0) and Luxembourg (0-6), Cristiano Ronaldo has taken care of his statistics with Portugal. More than the numbers, the Al Nassr striker offered himself a breath of fresh air after his terrible World Cup in Qatar.


No, Cristiano Ronaldo is not finished yet. His exit from the field after the elimination of the World Cup in Qatar against Morocco (0-1) could however have pushed him to draw a final line on the selection of Portugal. Renowned for his hatred of failure, the Al Nassr striker preferred to hang on. A choice for the moment paying. For his return to Europe, the time of a rally, the fivefold Ballon d’Or responded with two doubles against Liechtenstein (4-0) and Luxembourg (0-6). So certainly, many will be choosy by recalling that these two formations are not thunderbolts of war and no one will say the opposite. But scoring 4 goals in 2 selections in such a context when his place in the group was not necessarily assured with the arrival of Roberto Martinez, it is not trivial. First European player to score so many goals in selection after his 38 years, Ronaldo seems to have digested his last competition in the Gulf. He showed application, desire and above all a broad smile that he had lost with Fernando Santos. On his goals, but also and above all on the achievements of his partners since he was among the first to come and congratulate Joao Félix or Bernardo Silva on Sunday. A welcome change of approach for those who now accept being replaced during the match without flinching.
Will this be enough to arrive in great shape at the Euro in Germany in a little over a year? Hard to know. What is certain is that Ronaldo (122 goals and 198 caps) puts the odds on his side by maintaining high standards. With now 13 goals in 12 matches in 2023 between Al Nassr and Portugal, the former glory of Real Madrid is keeping a good pace. Much more will have to be done in the face of greater adversity. But at least CR7 pulls on a rope that holds up so far.