Soccer national teams are gearing up for the international break next week. European teams will play in Euro 2024 qualifiers next week, and coaches are readying the squad announcements. Portugal’s national team will be starting their new journey under a new manager next week, and everyone has set their sight on whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the squad or not. 

However, recent reports from The Athletic claim that the newly appointed manager, Roberto Martinez, will call Ronaldo for the upcoming two Euro 2024 qualifiers. Fans have reacted to the news since, and many believe he doesn’t deserve the call to the national team. 

Fans react to the Cristiano Ronaldo news

Ronaldo won the Saudi Pro League’s February Player of the Month award. He scored eight goals and assisted two, during last month, helping Al Nassr to stay on the top of the table. Meanwhile, the month of March is going worse for the Portuguese. He has blanked in the last three games for the Al Nassr, who now sits second in the league after the defeat to Al-Ittihad.

His current form has made many fans react in a negative way to the news of his potential selection in the national team for next week’s qualifiers.

One Redditt user wrote, “I’ll be ready to criticize Martinez if Ronaldo gets any special treatment for here on out (which sadly I believe he’ll get), but selecting the captain and best player for the last decade and a half on your first call-up in a new NT just makes sense and is hardly controversial.”

Here are the reactions from other Redditt users.

“I don’t really care about these two matches, but Diogo Jota or Gonçalo Ramos would be much better than Ronaldo.”

“It’s hilarious because sporting-wise he doesn’t deserve it and his “leadership” is also questionable.”

“Please stop, please. I love him he is the greatest Portugal player ever, but please stop. We need a new cycle.”

“A player from Saudi League shouldn’t be capable of playing for Portugal, honestly.”

“We’ll always be grateful for what he did in the past 18 years, but what matter is the present… and right now, he’s nowhere close of being our best forward.”

However, there are a few fans who would like to see Portugal’s talisman to be on the squad list. 

“He’s the team captain and raises the morale simply by being there, it makes perfect sense to call him up.”

“He has been the captain and leader of the team for a long time. Currently, they are in a transition period, it’s natural for Martinez to include him in the first call-up.”

“He still could contribute even a little. He has unmatched game experience compared to the other players that is very valuable.”

Portugal is to play Liechtenstein and Luxembourg

Portugal will kick off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign against Liechtenstein on March 24. They will next play away to Luxembourg three days later. Portugal is in Group J of the Euro 2024 qualifiers. The other teams in the group include Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, and Slovakia.

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Portugal appointed former Belgium national team manager Roberto Martinez in January to replace Fernando Santos. They will hope to put back the Qatar FIFA World Cup disappointment and start newly under Martinez. It will be interesting to see how things go for Portugal under a new manager.

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What do you make of the potential call-up of Cristiano Ronaldo to the national team at 38?