Ronaldo's expensive swing

One swing in Dublin was enough to crack a 22-year-old icon, as Portuguese media unanimously placed the blame on Ronaldo.

Ronaldo attracted attention with a red card on the day Portugal lost 0-2 to Ireland.

Cristiano Ronaldo has gone through more than two decades in the national team without leaving a single major disciplinary blemish. 226 games, hundreds of shining moments, countless times saving the Seleção from the brink.

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But a single swing of the arm in Dublin was enough to halt that perfect run, and spark a rare candid assessment from the Portuguese media. The red card didn’t just rule Ronaldo out of the rest of the game. It sent shockwaves, exposing both the strengths and weaknesses of his relationship with the expectations of an entire footballing nation.

A Bola , known for his restraint, chose to put it bluntly: “A day to forget.” That was not a description of the 0-2 defeat to Ireland. It was a conclusion to the image Ronaldo left behind.

The elbow on the Irish defender was not the action of a young player in his prime. It was the anger of a seasoned player, but a mistake in a seemingly harmless moment. A Bola implied that Ronaldo, the symbol of control and courage, had lost the very thing that made him what he is. In the eyes of this newspaper, it was more than a red card. It was an action that reflected the pressure Ronaldo was under.

Record approaches the matter from a deeper angle: the team’s emotional dependence on the 40-year-old superstar. Portugal go into each match with Ronaldo as the focal point. When he scores, the team soars. When he falters or gets into trouble, the team’s morale plummets.

Portugal go into every match with Ronaldo as the focal point.

The Portuguese newspaper used the defeat to Ireland as the clearest example of that connection. A moment of brilliance from Ronaldo led to a breakdown in the team’s response. This was not a personal criticism. It was a long-standing reality. And the red card only made it more apparent. The team was not just missing a player, but also an emotional axis.

O Jogo issued the most stark warning: the suspension could extend into the 2026 World Cup. That is the detail that makes the red card go beyond the nature of a simple mistake. The site reiterates that this World Cup could be Ronaldo's last on the world's biggest stage. And the possibility of missing the opening match is not only damaging professionally. It shatters the expectations of fans, who are preparing to witness the final chapter of a legend.

Portuguese newspapers called it a “blow to a national symbol”, implying that Ronaldo’s image is no longer a static statue. It has cracks.

Waiting for Ronaldo's reaction

Putting all three perspectives together, it is clear that the Portuguese media have not turned their backs on Ronaldo. They have simply begun to treat him as a normal footballer, something Ronaldo himself has said he is willing to accept. But for a living legend, that “normalization” takes the form of harshness. They do not shield. They do not soften the issue. They want him to take responsibility commensurate with the stature he represents.

Ronaldo's image in the national team is always associated with the role of an inspiration.

Ronaldo’s image in the team has always been one of inspiration. He doesn’t just score goals. He makes the country believe they always have a chance to win. But that red card raises the question: is Ronaldo still capable of maintaining that role of spiritual leader? Not because of his age, but because of the fragility that this violent moment has exposed. A leader must sometimes win with discipline, not instinct.

The thing is, the Portuguese media don’t want to push Ronaldo aside. They know he’s still an inspiration, a model of perseverance. But they also know that the image of a team on the verge of a World Cup cannot depend on a moment of anger. Portugal needs Ronaldo, but they need a calmer, more rational, more cautious version.

This red card does not erase the greatness of CR7's career. It only reminds us of something that time has always wanted to prove: even icons sometimes go astray. But what makes a legend is not that they stumble, but how they get back up.

For Ronaldo, the moment in Dublin may have been a slip. But the reaction will determine whether he ends his international journey with glory or regret. The Portuguese media have spoken. Now it is Ronaldo's turn to respond.

Source: https://znews.vn/cu-vung-tay-dat-gia-cua-ronaldo-post1602449.html