Ronaldo unexpectedly refused to play for Portugal. But it won’t last long
Nikita Paglazov March 20, 2024, 14:05 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
Cristiano asked the coach to give him a rest. When and why did you miss the national team matches before?
Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the Portugal national team match on his own initiative! Shocking, but it’s true. According to ESPN, the forward is on a short vacation in Saudi Arabia, which he spends with his family. Ronaldo has decided to miss the friendly match with the Swedish team that will take place on Thursday, March 21. However, Cristiano will arrive at the Portugal headquarters before the test match against Slovenia (March 26). A unique case in which Ronaldo will not play for the national team due to rest reasons.
Cristiano is the world record holder for most goals with the national team. With 128 goals scored, Ronaldo is already 19 goals ahead of former Iranian leader Ali Daei. The Portuguese’s pursuer (surprise!) is Lionel Messi. The Argentine has 106 goals. There is no doubt that Leo will surpass Daei and take second place. But it is unlikely that it will be possible to get Cristiano. Ronaldo also holds the record for the number of matches played with the national team: he already has 205. He surpassed former Kuwaiti striker Bader Al-Mutawa (196). Cristiano has never rejected a call-up to the national team without good reason.
If we look at the headlines in recent years, the only time Ronaldo did not make the national team not due to health problems was in the fall of 2018. Then Cristiano missed Portugal’s friendly matches against Croatia and Scotland, as well as four matches of the League of Nations against Italy and Poland. He himself asked the coaching staff, headed by Fernando Santos, not to call him up. The reason is the transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus. Cristiano adapted to life in Italy and in the new league, concentrating on this. Note that he did not rest, as he does now, but rather he simply set his priorities.
Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus
Photo: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images
Why did Ronaldo miss the national team matches?
Cristiano missed most of the Portuguese national team’s matches due to injuries. Let’s not forget the banal disqualifications. And another reason is vacations (but not in Saudi Arabia). Ronaldo simply appeared in one match and missed the second. Or they were saving it before an important tournament. For example, before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Ronaldo experienced muscle problems; Because of this, he missed the friendly matches with Greece and Mexico, and only participated in the match against Ireland. But in the tournament itself, Cristiano did not shine: 1+1 in three games and elimination of Portugal in the group stage.
Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2014 World Cup
Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
In 2008, the forward missed three matches for the national team due to ankle surgery. A year later, he injured his ankle again, which prevented him from playing three more games. In September 2010, Ronaldo did not take the field in the Euro 2012 qualifying matches with Cyprus and Norway due to a bruise. And six months later, Cristiano missed the friendly matches with Chile and Finland due to a muscle injury.
In September 2014, Ronaldo did not play in the Euro 2016 qualifying match against Albania due to hip problems. Two years later, he ruptured his collateral ligament and lost a friendly match with Gibraltar, as well as the match with Switzerland in the framework of the 2018 World Cup qualification.
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In October 2020, Ronaldo fell ill with coronavirus, which is why he did not take the field in the Nations League match against Sweden. And in November 2022, Cristiano was treated before the start of the World Cup in Qatar: he felt unwell and did not play in the control match against Nigeria. Ronaldo’s tournament was not clear, he ended up on the bench in the round of 16 against Switzerland and in the quarterfinals against Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo at the 2022 World Cup
Photo: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Cristiano is a long-liver footballer and a robot. Having this shape at 39 years old is unique. However, even he now needs rest to prolong his career.
