Cristiano Ronaldo is a name that commands respect in the soccer world. Even at the age of 39, the Portuguese superstar is still going strong. In fact, Cr7 is the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League and is still a cornerstone for his national side. Despite Ronaldo’s interest in helping the young stars grow, the soccer icon still proves to be an intimidating presence for many. As such, meeting his ‘idol‘ proved to be a paralyzing experience for a Liechtenstein player.

Denis Salanovic, a winger for Liechtenstein national team opened up on his meeting with the soccer icon. Salanovic revealed, “Cristiano Ronaldo is my idol, and last year I met him in the locker room after the national team match. I was shaking, man, when I saw him. I never feel nervous with any player, but when I saw Cristiano, I started sweating.”

The winger admitted that he wanted to talk with the Portuguese star. Yet, he couldn’t and he felt like a paralyzed victim. Salanovic concluded, “He must have thought: “What’s wrong with you man, why don’t you talk.” While Salanovic might not have had the most memorable conversation with the soccer legend, he got a first-hand exhibition of Cr7’s prowess on the pitch.

Portugal won the game 2-0 thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo. Besides the goal, the attacker’s all-around game was also impressive. At that point in time, CR7 was one of the first names on the team sheet for Roberto Martinez. However, fast forward a few months later, and there are growing calls for Ronaldo to be dropped ahead of the Euro 2024!

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘time for Portugal’ is over according to French legend

World Cup winning defender Frank Leboeuf said Cristiano Ronaldo could be detrimental to Portugal’s Euro chances. He explained, “For me, Portugal are actually one of the contenders for this summer’s European Championships. I actually think they can win the Euros, but only if Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t play. I think his time for Portugal is done.” Although CR7 is not the physical specimen he once, it is will be interesting to see how manager Roberto Martinez approaches the situation. However, even if opts for the unpopular decision to bench the superstar, he won’t be the first manager to do so.

Back in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo was on the bench for the knockout games. As per the manager, Fernando Santos, CR7 was lacking in ‘rhythm‘, having missed out on pre-season with Manchester United. However, the decision didn’t pay off as Portugal was knocked out of the quarters by Morocco.

Does Cristiano Ronaldo still warrant a starting place in the Portuguese team? Let us know below.