Ronaldo is not past his prime.

Portugal's 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan showed that Ronaldo is still a major difference-maker in the penalty area, but he is no longer a player who should play the full 90 minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace and was involved in several of Portugal's goals against Uzbekistan.

Following a disappointing draw in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup , Cristiano Ronaldo became the target of criticism. But against Uzbekistan on June 24th, the Portuguese captain delivered the most familiar response of his career: scoring goals.

In a private interview with Tri Thức - Znews , coach Miguel Santos, the Portuguese manager who previously worked with Ruben Amorim, assessed that Ronaldo displayed a completely different performance compared to his first match.

According to Santos, Ronaldo's opening goal was a typical strike from a top striker: intelligent movement in the penalty area, quicker judgment than the defenders, and a decisive finish. For the second goal, CR7 continued to demonstrate his undiminished goal-scoring instinct by making a diagonal run into the space between two Uzbekistan defenders and unleashing a powerful shot into the far corner.

"Ronaldo is playing much, much better," Santos commented. "That's the kind of finish a top goalscorer has."

Ronaldo doesn't just score goals.

The noteworthy point, according to Miguel Santos, is that Ronaldo's influence didn't stop at his brace. The 41-year-old striker also contributed to making a difference in many other attacking situations for Portugal.

According to coach Miguel Santos, Ronaldo remains one of the most dangerous strikers in the world inside the penalty area.

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In Nuno Mendes' goal, Ronaldo was reportedly the one who suggested his teammate shoot directly from the free kick, instead of letting all the attention be focused on him. Santos considered this a clever setup, showing that CR7's experience and ability to read the game are still very valuable to the Portuguese national team.

In the fourth goal, Ronaldo and Joao Felix moved towards the near post, drawing the attention of the Uzbekistan defense and creating chaos in front of the goal. For Rafael Leao's fifth goal, Ronaldo again drew defenders toward him, creating space at the far post for his teammate to run in and finish.

Santos emphasized Ronaldo's influence in all five goals, but this victory wasn't solely due to CR7. Joao Felix, Nuno Mendes, Pedro Neto, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, and Ruben Dias all played crucial roles in Portugal's dominance and their exploitation of Uzbekistan's defense.

Nevertheless, he still believes that Ronaldo's most suitable role right now is that of a pure number 9. In the penalty area, Ronaldo remains particularly dangerous thanks to his positioning, finishing ability with both feet, and aerial prowess.

Ronaldo's 90-minute challenge

Santos praised Ronaldo's performance, but suggested that the Portuguese coaching staff still needs to carefully consider how to utilize the 41-year-old captain.

The problem isn't tactical thinking. According to Santos, Ronaldo is too experienced a player to need much explanation about how to operate the game. What's more important is managing his physical condition, especially as Portugal enters higher-intensity matches.

"I still think 90 minutes is too much for Ronaldo at the moment. When Portugal is leading 3-0 or 4-0, he can certainly be substituted to rest for the next match," Santos said.

Ronaldo's biggest problem right now is no longer his technical skill, but his physical fitness at the age of 41.

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The Portuguese coach also believes that the criticism will follow Ronaldo until the end of his career. When CR7 plays well, people acknowledge that he still has class. When he plays poorly, immediately there are comments that he is past his prime or should retire.

However, Santos believes Ronaldo hasn't lost his most important quality. In the penalty area, CR7 is still one of the best finishers in the world. The only difference is that he can no longer operate his body as he did when he was 25 or 30 years old.

Santos also doesn't believe Ronaldo is obsessed with the race against Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, or Lionel Messi. CR7 certainly watches the performances of other stars, but his biggest priority remains his individual form and the goal of helping Portugal go far in the 2026 World Cup.

Following criticism in the opening match, Ronaldo once again responded in his most familiar way. His brace against Uzbekistan not only helped Portugal win 5-0, but also reiterated one thing: at 41, CR7 can still make a difference in the penalty area.

Source: https://znews.vn/ronaldo-chua-het-thoi-post1662710.html