Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has faced criticism for his performance and conduct during Tuesday’s defeat to Slovenia.
Ronaldo returned to the Portugal side for the match but couldn’t hide his frustration as his team suffered a surprising 2-0 loss in the international friendly.
Despite being rested against Sweden in the previous outing, Ronaldo’s contribution to the game was minimal.
His lackluster performance attracted attention on social media, with fans accusing the 39-year-old of “ghosting” and criticizing his behavior towards match officials, as he was seen expressing anger while leaving the pitch.
In the aftermath of the defeat, fans took to various platforms to express their disappointment. One supporter on X remarked, “It’s crazy how incredibly mid-Portugal are whenever Ronaldo starts for them.
Portugal vs Slovenia (Via FIFA/Twitter)
At this point I feel the only reason they call him up is to sell seats…man is an instagram model/influencer.” Another fan pointed out Ronaldo’s role in Slovenia’s first goal, stating, “Lmao Ronaldo literally lost the ball for no reason and it led directly to Slovenia’s first goal hahahah.”
Furthermore, Ronaldo’s presence in the Portugal team was seen as advantageous for the opposition, with one fan commenting, “Ronaldo in Portugal team makes the opponent play like prime Barcelona!”
Another user criticized Ronaldo’s behavior towards the end of the game, saying, “Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch attacking the referee after ghosting against Slovenia. No Penalty, No Party !”
Despite the defeat, Portugal’s head coach, Roberto Martinez, emphasized that the result was not the primary focus of the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Via FIFA/Twitter)
He highlighted the importance of experimentation and gathering information ahead of the European Championship. Martinez stressed the significance of learning from the match and preparing the team for the upcoming tournament.
The loss to Slovenia halted Martinez’s impressive run of 11 consecutive wins as Portugal boss. Looking ahead, Portugal and Ronaldo will continue their preparations for Euro 2024 with friendlies against Finland, Republic of Ireland, and Croatia in June.
As one of the favorites for the tournament, Portugal is gearing up to face Turkey, Czech Republic, and Georgia in the group stages, aiming for glory in Germany.
