Euro 2024: What went wrong for Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal?

Portugal had such talented stars but failed to deliver at the grandest stage.

Portugal were eliminated by France in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals which might prove to be the last tournament for one of the greatest strikers Cristiano Ronaldo, who for the first time failed to score a goal despite playing in all five matches.

But these tears were not Ronaldo’s this time. Rather, the Portugal captain’s job was to comfort a tearful Pepe as the realisation of yet another heartbreaking quarterfinal loss dawned.

Portugal managed just three goals in its five games (five if you consider the own goals of Robin Hranac of the Czechia and Samet Akaydin of Turkey) despite having an xG of 9.41. Ronaldo’s goal tally was nil.

Why did Roberto Martinez continue with Ronaldo despite having the likes of Jota and Ramos?

So why was the 39-year-old selected to start in front of France rather than any of the many talented players on Portugal’s incredibly talented bench? The game went the whole 120 minutes, but neither Diogo Jota nor Goncalo Ramos even touched the field. Martinez continued to play his labouring forward the entire time. With fifteen minutes remaining, Bruno Fernandes was swapped out, but not Ronaldo.

The fact that Portugal failed to score in any of their final three games is much more concerning. After losing 2-0 to Georgia (with a considerably depleted squad that still had Ronaldo), a goalless draw against Slovenia and ultimately France ensued.

Because, let’s be honest, Ronaldo’s selection was determined by the demands of notoriety rather than by quality. Martinez was afraid to exclude him. It was difficult to argue with Ronaldo’s unshakeable self-belief in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary. This was evident throughout the Portugal camp. Certainly, not one is considered sufficient to dethrone the great guy.

Also read: Is Cristiano Ronaldo retiring after Euro 2024 heartbreak?

Poor substitutions and formation led to decline in performance

Martinez chose to play Bernardo Silva on the right despite having talented stars Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao in the team who were more direct with their performance and caused more threats. Neto did get minutes on the pitch but he was playing out position on the left which limited his traits on the pitch. Neto is one of the fastest and quickest with his feet when he is operating on the right.

When Conceicao was brought on the right against France, the forward line looked more threatening. He also created goalscoring chances for Portugal which was missed by Ronaldo in the injury time. Another poor call by Martinez was to replace Bruno Fernandes who never runs out of fuel and could have been one of the decisive penalty-takers during the shootouts.

What’s next for Portugal?

Possessing one of the best squads with excellent depth Portugal once again failed to deliver. If Martinez had made some better decisions during the competition then it might have been them facing Spain in the semi-final.

Nonetheless, they have one of the best squads with top talented players who can challenge any side in any tournament. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, Portugal’s players will have a big chance to lead their nation to the most coveted trophy. It all depends on how they are managed. For Ronaldo, only time will tell if he can make the unthinkable happen and play in the 2026 World Cup.

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