Without Ronaldo, how is the Portugal team?

Without superstar Ronaldo, Portugal still easily destroyed Armenia with a score of 9-1. Many Portuguese fans believe that they are ready for the post-Ronaldo scenario.

Ronaldo received a red card and left the field in the 0-2 loss to the Republic of Ireland - Photo: THE SUN

Late on November 16, Portugal faced Armenia in the final match of Group F of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Despite the absence of Ronaldo (40 years old), coach Roberto Martinez's team still won convincingly 9-1 against their opponents.

It seemed that the absence of the great striker would affect the mentality of the Portuguese players. On the contrary, coach Roberto Martinez's students had an excellent performance, crushed their opponents and won a ticket to the 2026 World Cup finals.

There were two hat-tricks in this match, both scored by Portuguese midfielders Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes. Their brilliant day ended with Conceicao scoring the final goal in the 90+2 minute.

A devastating victory is always a topic that many football fans like to discuss, especially when it takes place without Ronaldo. On social network X, fans left comments saying that the Portuguese team is still strong enough without Ronaldo.

Bruno Fernandes shines with a hat-trick on a day without Ronaldo - Photo: REUTERS

The Sun newspaper said that when Portugal won 9-1 without the 40-year-old superstar, some people wondered whether his (Ronaldo) absence actually made Portugal weaker.

The Sun also quoted an article on X, saying: “It's not pleasant for a Ronaldo fan, but Portugal are better without the number 7”.

Meanwhile, the Athletic also published an analysis of Portugal's strength without Ronaldo. The article acknowledged the greatness and influence that the number 7 striker brought but also assessed that Portugal was playing well even without Ronaldo in the squad.

In reality, Portugal has a quality squad from attack to defense. Coach Roberto Martinez’s students are in the prime of their careers, with prominent names such as Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Rafael Leao… all performing well for both their clubs and the Portuguese national team.

That is why many fans believe that the Portuguese team is ready for the post-Ronaldo scenario. And the victory over Armenia on the evening of November 16 proved that.

In the previous match, the Portuguese team suffered a bitter 0-2 defeat against the Irish players. In a controversial situation, the 40-year-old superstar had to leave the field after receiving a direct red card for hitting defender Dara O'Shea (Ireland).

This incident not only forced Ronaldo to sit out the final match of Group F, but also put him at risk of being banned by FIFA from playing in the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup. Currently, the Portuguese Football Federation said they will appeal Ronaldo's red card.

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MR. HAO

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khong-co-ronaldo-tuyen-bo-dao-nha-the-nao-20251117153023942.htm