It was a disappointing outing for Portugal as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against Croatia. Worryingly, the Euro 2016 winners haven’t been in the best of form recently and were beaten in March by Slovenia. In 10 days, the Euro campaign kicks off for Roberto Martinez and Co. How can the team improve their form ahead of the blockbuster tournament? As per a pundit, the key lies in dropping a player who didn’t even feature yesterday in Cristiano Ronaldo!

Ale Moreno on the ESPN FC show gave his opinion on Cristiano Ronaldo’s role in the side. The pundit had a word of advice for Roberto Martinez regarding CR7. He explained, “If I had gone and made what would have been the courageous and brave decision and say Cristiano we appreciate your efforts thank you very much but we’re going to go in a different direction. I think it would have freed Roberto Martinez to make more decisions and to actually explore the possibilities of this team.”

Moreno added that since Martinez has included CR7 in the squad, he will be compelled to play him, either from the start or the bench. As per the pundit, this is a ‘no-win‘ situation that could have been avoided. The solution was to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo at the start of Martinez’s tenure. Regardless, Cristiano Ronaldo has been impressive under the Spanish coach. His stats read 10 goals and 2 assists under Martinez. Hence, by merit, the Al Nassr captain deserves a starting place. But, as per his teammate, Ronaldo is not the force he once was.

Portugal teammate claims Cristiano Ronaldo is way past his prime!

Joao Cancelo is someone who knows Cristiano Ronaldo quite well. The duo played together at Juventus and then for the Portugal National team. Hence, Cancelo’s comments regarding the 39-year-old generated quite a buzz. According to him, “The peak of a footballer’s career is between the ages of 25 and 32. He(Ronaldo) is an important player for us, but the national team does not depend entirely on him.” This is undoubtedly a blunt statement from the Portuguese defender.

It is worth noting that in World Cup 2022, Cristiano Ronaldo was demoted to the bench by Fernando Santos. The Portugal captain didn’t take the decision kindly and was visibly frustrated. But age is catching up and as Cancelo implied, the Portugal team will eventually move on from him. Hence, will Martinez follow Fernando Santos and minimize CR7’s involvement at Euro 2024? Portugal’s XI at the Euros will be one to watch.