The end in sight for Cristiano Ronaldo?

Johnny Yen

Well-Known Member
Hawked around numerous clubs in summer, no takers and warming the bench at Old Trafford, apparently he turned in a really poor display again last night for Portugal, receiving criticism from the media and fans alike.

He has had an unbelievable career but surely the World Cup will be his finale?

I read the other day he wants to lead the line for Portugal at Euro 24, I think thats utter fantasy on his part.
 
Hawked around numerous clubs in summer, no takers and warming the bench at Old Trafford, apparently he turned in a really poor display again last night for Portugal, receiving criticism from the media and fans alike.

He has had an unbelievable career but surely the World Cup will be his finale?

I read the other day he wants to lead the line for Portugal at Euro 24, I think thats utter fantasy on his part.

Can see him playing the next world cup tbh. 2026.
 
If he had a couple of relatively major injuries until now, he'd be coming out with the old "listening to my body" patter by now.

His ego wont let him accept he's not up to it as much anymore. And if his body had been telling him that by now he wouldn't be coming out with this stuff.
 
If Sporting are in the Champions League next season, I expect he'll go there.

He's not going to retire when he feels he can keep going, especially while Messi is still playing and scoring in the Champions League and guys like Ibrahimovic are still going into their 40s.
(Just checked his age and he's 41 next week!)
 
He´s had a bad start to the season, club situation obviously doesnt help.

When he leaves UTD he´ll be back to a decent level.
No big club wants him though? He wanted Champions League football and his agent was obviously tasked with finding him a club who could offer him that, PSG, Napoli, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid all allegedly offered the chance to sign him.
 
It catches up with everyone.

No matter how many squats you do, no matter how much water you drink and how many vitamins you gub, the human body slows down dramatically as you hit 40 and the decline continues at differing rates until you pass away. It’s nature and it cannot be changed.
 
If he had a couple of relatively major injuries until now, he'd be coming out with the old "listening to my body" patter by now.

His ego wont let him accept he's not up to it as much anymore. And if his body had been telling him that by now he wouldn't be coming out with this stuff.
This. It's a shame as he really is one the greatest of all time.

Should have done the MLS swan song like everyone else
 
No big club wants him though? He wanted Champions League football and his agent was obviously tasked with finding him a club who could offer him that, PSG, Napoli, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid all allegedly offered the chance to sign him.

Man United publicly repeatedly said he wasn’t for sale.

Considering his likely wage demand coupled to the fact man United if they were gonna let him go would have been after a decent fee you can see why none of the sides touched him. If rumours at the time were to believed Chelsea were actually interested in the deal but United just weren’t willing to let him go.

A few others did suggest they’d be interested but couldn’t afford him.
 
He was a great player, in his later years has been a parasite re, pounds, euros, and suppose dollars to come.
 
Will be a real shame, but he just can't change his game the way Messi could. Not saying that's a criticism, I just mean they are different types of players.
 
If Sporting are in the Champions League next season, I expect he'll go there.

He's not going to retire when he feels he can keep going, especially while Messi is still playing and scoring in the Champions League and guys like Ibrahimovic are still going into their 40s.
(Just checked his age and he's 41 next week!)

Sure I read somewhere that Sporting's owner is firmly against signing him.
 
It catches up with everyone.

No matter how many squats you do, no matter how much water you drink and how many vitamins you gub, the human body slows down dramatically as you hit 40 and the decline continues at differing rates until you pass away. It’s nature and it cannot be changed.
Unfortunately I can vouch for that, even though I'm not doing any squats or drinking water much.....tweaked my hammy getting off the couch quickly as a Malteser nearly hit the carpet
 
This. It's a shame as he really is one the greatest of all time.

Should have done the MLS swan song like everyone else
Zlatan still playing at over 40 at a decent level. Given how Ronaldo looks after himself I can’t see how he can’t either.

His salary demands are what put most off. If he lowers that accordingly he won’t have an issue finding another decent club
 
It catches up with everyone.

No matter how many squats you do, no matter how much water you drink and how many vitamins you gub, the human body slows down dramatically as you hit 40 and the decline continues at differing rates until you pass away. It’s nature and it cannot be changed.
How you explaining the 63 year-old poster on here that can run 200m about 1.8 seconds slower than Usain Bolt's world record? In his trainers!
 
Ibrahimovic looked absolutely finished after his knee injury at United, went on to be a big reason why Milan returned to the top spot after a stint in MLS.

It’s possible he just needs the right club, a return to Italy maybe as a good backup option.
 
It catches up with everyone.

No matter how many squats you do, no matter how much water you drink and how many vitamins you gub, the human body slows down dramatically as you hit 40 and the decline continues at differing rates until you pass away. It’s nature and it cannot be changed.



“I’m a fly, trapped in a jar of shadows”
 
I can see him returning to Sporting Lisbon, he will be like Zlatan where he can just keep playing, these guys are beyond human and look after themselves so well that he could play in the Portuguese league for another few years for sure.
Zlatan was still turning it on in Serie A at 40 though. Ronaldo’s not playing near that level now and managers around Europe won’t touch him because of his ego and fears of his impact on squad morale. United aren’t exactly a great outfit just now and he’s not getting many minutes there.
 
Remember when he was trying to force out of Man Utd he said he was going to have a big press conference in two weeks time to explain his next move...

Still waiting.
 
Zlatan was still turning it on in Serie A at 40 though. Ronaldo’s not playing near that level now and managers around Europe won’t touch him because of his ego and fears of his impact on squad morale. United aren’t exactly a great outfit just now and he’s not getting many minutes there.
At 37 Zlatan was relaxing in LA though, there’s till plenty time for Ronaldo to find a new club if he lowers his wages demands and his expectations. He could go on a few more years at a high enough level in the likes of France or Italy in Europe or onto the US when the time comes.
 
He's been finished for about 18 months now.

Had a good start with Man United on paper but clearly isn't and was never a lone striker, he's also finished which doesn't help.

He'd probably be the best squad player on the planet for a couple of seasons if his ego allowed it.
 
At 37 Zlatan was relaxing in LA though, there’s till plenty time for Ronaldo to find a new club if he lowers his wages demands and his expectations. He could go on a few more years at a high enough level in the likes of France or Italy in Europe or onto the US when the time comes.
He was still good enough to be a mainstay at a club in Europe though, he didn’t need to go to LA. Ronaldo doesn’t look like he’s got it in him anymore. He’ll probably at the very least need to accept that the real top clubs are beyond him now.

People always say MLS but I don’t know if he’ll return to the scene of the crime.
 
He was still good enough to be a mainstay at a club in Europe though, he didn’t need to go to LA. Ronaldo doesn’t look like he’s got it in him anymore. He’ll probably at the very least need to accept that the real top clubs are beyond him now.

People always say MLS but I don’t know if he’ll return to the scene of the crime.
He played 7 times for Man U in 2017/18 and only scored once he was hardly setting the world alight in Europe. He was still recovering a bit from his big injury of course but he wasn’t really any better than Ronaldo currently is. Think Ronaldo will definitely have to accept the level of club he gets will be lower unless the likes of PSG fancy a move for him if Messi leaves. At a lower team in Italy or France though I think he’d be absolutely fine and can still carve out a few years of his career.
 
He played 7 times for Man U in 2017/18 and only scored once he was hardly setting the world alight in Europe. He was still recovering a bit from his big injury of course but he wasn’t really any better than Ronaldo currently is. Think Ronaldo will definitely have to accept the level of club he gets will be lower unless the likes of PSG fancy a move for him if Messi leaves. At a lower team in Italy or France though I think he’d be absolutely fine and can still carve out a few years of his career.
I’m sure he could, I just don’t think any team with serious aspirations of doing well will make him the focal point of their team. United paid the price for it last season and the previous season and the way they’ve come on this season more or less prove that, then there’s the impact on morale and managers having to put up with the circus that comes along with him, being ask questions any time he sulks or throws his arms up etc etc. As someone else said he could be a really good sub for a top side, you could still see him grabbing goals if he gets in the box late in games, still great in the air - but I just don’t think his ego will allow it.
 
The problem is his ego makes him toxic to the top clubs. He still seems to believe he's the main man and teams should be built around him rather than the other way around.
 
It catches up with everyone.

No matter how many squats you do, no matter how much water you drink and how many vitamins you gub, the human body slows down dramatically as you hit 40 and the decline continues at differing rates until you pass away. It’s nature and it cannot be changed.
100%
Reminds me of a quote from a certain film
"Time destroys everything"
 
He's a goalscorer now and not much else, it's not really something that any top teams want now.

Zlatan totally altered his game as he aged, he turned into a brilliant target man to suit both his game and Milan as a team, that along with his leadership took them up a level. Similarly Totti, he changed his game multiple times at different points in his career to suit the team. Ronaldo doesn't have that type of game.
 
Hawked around numerous clubs in summer, no takers and warming the bench at Old Trafford, apparently he turned in a really poor display again last night for Portugal, receiving criticism from the media and fans alike.

He has had an unbelievable career but surely the World Cup will be his finale?

I read the other day he wants to lead the line for Portugal at Euro 24, I think thats utter fantasy on his part.
Okay
 
He was the EPL's third highest goalscorer last season in a shit Man Utd side.

As for this season, we're only in September.

He's still a world class player with plenty to offer. He's just at the wrong club.

He'll be at Euro 2024, then he'll retire.
 
He needs to drop deeper and reinvent himself, become a Pirlo type player who dictates the play, rather than someone who relies on pace, which is a large part of what his game has been about.

I always think that when players get to that age, especially very good players, they have so much experience at reading the game that they should realise their attacking days are over and drop deeper and help the younger players who do have pace to run at defences with assists and passes.

Problem is, can Ronaldo let go of his ego and become less of a goalscorer and more of a goal creator?
 
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