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Does Portugal play better or worse without Cristiano Ronaldo? |
The red card against Ireland and the 9-1 win over Armenia in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers sparked a debate that has never subsided. Ronaldo left the field in a fit of rage and flew straight back to Saudi Arabia, while his teammates destroyed Armenia. The two contrasting images occurred within a few days, enough for social media and experts to re-ask the question that has haunted him since the 2022 World Cup: does Portugal still need CR7?
The moment Ronaldo left and the rain of goals
It was hard to ignore the feeling that the team played more freely without the 40-year-old striker. The pressure around Ronaldo had disappeared. Young players had more space. Attacks became more direct and varied. Portugal beat Armenia 9-1, the second game in two years in which they scored nine goals without Ronaldo.
But football is not a game of feelings. The numbers say otherwise.
Since the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo has been a scoring machine. He has 25 goals in 30 games. Portugal has played 36 games in the same period, Ronaldo has only missed six.
When Ronaldo started , the team's winning rate reached 70% , scoring 2.2 goals/match .
In his absence , the win rate dropped to 66.6% , but the number of goals jumped to 4.8 goals/game .
The sample size is too small. The 9-0 and 9-1 wins skew the data to one side. Take those two games out and the familiar picture of Portugal emerges: Ronaldo is still central to the team’s operation, and the team still relies heavily on his scoring instincts.
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Ronaldo is still excellent. |
Coach Roberto Martinez did not avoid the question. He affirmed: "We are stronger with Ronaldo, Nuno Mendes and Pedro Neto." That was a straightforward answer.
The Portugal coach stressed that the team must have enough strength, but also need to be confident that they can win without a few stars. That mindset helps him not to build a team that is blindly dependent on Ronaldo, but also not to trade the role of the super striker just for a big win.
Who can replace Ronaldo?
Goncalo Ramos is the brightest choice. The PSG player has 10 goals in 22 international matches and always plays well when given the chance. Rafael Leao also has his own qualities, but lacks the stability needed for a striker. Portugal has never had a tradition of producing many classy "number 9s", so directly replacing Ronaldo is almost impossible.
And the next generation? No one knows. Ronaldo Jr. is a name that the media happily mentions, but professional football does not nurture that kind of romantic hope.
The big wins make it easy to conclude that Portugal are thriving without Ronaldo. But the bigger picture suggests otherwise: they still need him. Not just for his goals, but for his influence, his charisma, and the way he draws opposing defences to him.
However, Ronaldo has confirmed that this will be the last tournament of his life. And only when he leaves will the world know how strong Portugal really is without their greatest captain.
By then, the debate will be over. And the answer will no longer be on paper, but on the field.
Source: https://znews.vn/ronaldo-va-ngich-ly-tuyen-bo-dao-nha-post1603903.html
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