Controversy: Portugal plays better without Cristiano Ronaldo

(Dan Tri) - Portugal's resounding 9-1 victory over Armenia in the World Cup qualifiers without Cristiano Ronaldo has caused the media and fans to debate CR7's influence.

"Fans debate whether Portugal are better off without Ronaldo after 9-1 win over Armenia," Sport Skeeda headlined the fan debate on social media about Ronaldo's role when Portugal secured a ticket to the 2026 World Cup by crushing weak opponents Armenia in the final match on the morning of November 17.

Ronaldo received a red card in Portugal's 0-2 loss to Ireland on November 14 (Photo: Getty).

In this match, Ronaldo was removed from the Portuguese squad due to suspension after his red card in the 0-2 loss to Ireland on November 14. The surprise happened when the "European Selecao" team played explosively and created a rain of goals against Armenia, including 2 players scoring hat-tricks: Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves.

A debate on social media has erupted when many opinions say that Ronaldo is the major obstacle preventing the Portuguese team from fully utilizing its inherent strength, even reducing the chance of competing for the 2026 World Cup championship if the superstar, who is about to turn 41, continues to be in the starting lineup.

"Portugal without Ronaldo is a much stronger team...", a fan shared his opinion on social network X.

"Ronaldo fans hate to face the truth, that Portugal are a better team without him," another person agreed.

Many fans believe that Portugal would be much stronger if Ronaldo did not play (Photo: Reuters).

"His lack of movement off the ball and physical strength is a weakness of the team. Ronaldo's ego is too big and unacceptable. This team can win the World Cup without CR7," said a third person.

"Portugal without Ronaldo is like Wi-Fi without a password, sometimes it runs smoother, but saying that is dangerous," another fan asserted.

However, many people refute the view that Ronaldo has slowed down Portugal's strength, citing statistics after the 2022 World Cup that CR7 still regularly plays and scores for the national team, with 25 goals in 30 matches. Even when the striker born in 1985 is on the field, the Portuguese team wins 70% of the matches, scoring an average of 2.2 goals/match.

"Portugal are stronger with or without Ronaldo depending on the opponent, but to say they have a 'higher' chance of winning without him is a bit of an exaggeration. His presence still changes the game, even if the team is growing beyond him," one fan said.

"When Portugal lost to Morocco in the 2022 World Cup, many people admitted that Ronaldo should have started. The truth is that when Ronaldo played, he showed maturity and the ability to lead the team," another fan concluded.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/tranh-cai-tuyen-bo-dao-nha-choi-hay-hon-khi-vang-cristiano-ronaldo-20251117221654788.htm