Ronaldo shows his ugliest side in the last big fight of his career

One might think that Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction to not celebrating with the team in the corner after his Portuguese’s round of 16 victory was a sign of a lack of team spirit. But that would be too easy.

Rather, it seems that the 37-year-old is angry with himself, angry that he can no longer put his stamp on the game of the 2016 European champions. The model athlete, who has always pursued his goals with the highest degree of discipline, must pay homage to his age.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s best time is over – the Portuguese is no longer the decider of the match

Ronaldo is simply not as lively as he used to be, when he won the Champions League four times (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018) with Real Madrid in five years and individual awards (five times world footballer) have piled up.

Squads – youngsters at Manchester United (2003-2009) or later Real Madrid (2009-2018) – depended on his genius and his actions. Nothing went without the big star. Never, at any time. Even after moving from Real Madrid to Juventus Turin in 2018, the striker was still a winner at the age of 33.

In a team that was past its prime, he was a regular winner and also broke Italy’s goalscoring records. In his second season in Turin he scored 37 competitive matches, surpassing Ferenc Hirzer’s goalscoring record (35), held since 1926.

Cristiano Ronaldo always needs the feeling of being indispensable

But it is also true that he gave the following reasons for moving to Turin: “I felt inside the club, especially with the president (Florentino Pérez, Am. der Red.) who didn’t look at me like they did at the beginning». Cristiano Ronaldo needs this feeling of being indispensable like hardly any other player in the world.

Also, with no alternatives, the right always seeks the best outcome. Mediocrity is not a permanent condition for him, which is why he brutally forced Manchester United’s departure. A team that is not currently playing for titles. Accepting that a team like his Portuguese would be brighter without him does not fit Cristiano Ronaldo’s mental image.

The superstar has always been considered a team player. Former teammates like Sami Khedira regularly praised Ronaldo for it. This was also the case when the Portuguese won against Switzerland. For the first two goals, Ronaldo joined the party, just like everyone else on the bench. He was happy that his friend Pepe had scored the 2-0 goal.

However, what followed after the match was quite detrimental to the team. Ronaldo knows his charisma, he is followed at every corner. The cameras always automatically pan to him, not his teammates.

After a gala like against Switzerland, he should have submitted for a moment and celebrated with his team. But in these moments, the Portuguese is a prisoner of himself. After the match, the headlines belonged to him again. But not anymore, because he sounds so great. It’s because he just can’t get his ego back and continues to be consumed with ambition.

Ronaldo is not getting younger and faster – Portugal play better without him

Early in the match, the 37-year-old had to watch his teammates tear apart an opponent. It seemed that at that moment they were breaking free from their superstardom.

Which is why the rumors that Ronaldo was seriously considering leaving Qatar when he learned of his place on the bench also seem credible. The Portuguese seems to be losing the battle against his age. He’s not getting any younger and he’s not even getting any faster. Despite all the discipline and the enormous will to maintain the level of the previous days. And almost every second of a match – or even after – it becomes clear how much he struggles with himself and the situation.

Ronaldo will lose this battle. It’s just a question of how he fares in the next and maybe last games for Portugal.