Euro 2024: Portugal eliminated by Georgia, 2-0
Should Cristiano Ronaldo Still Be a Starter for the National Team? This debate has been ongoing for some time in Portugal and is likely to resurface after the group stage of this Euro, especially following the Iberian team’s clash against Georgia on Wednesday, which was won by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s squad (2-0).
It’s worth noting that the Al-Nassr star had a particularly poor performance during the 66 minutes he spent on the field. He hardly accomplished anything, losing possession of the ball 6 out of the 18 times he touched it. This statistic underscores his dismal performance and minimal contribution to the game. He created no threats and wandered through the match like a ghost.
Moreover, he appeared very frustrated. He repeatedly showed signs of irritation and criticized the referee several times, also displaying aggression towards his opponents, including a minor altercation before entering the locker room tunnel at halftime. When he was substituted by Gonçalo Ramos, he angrily kicked a water bottle.
Roberto Martinez’s decision to keep him in the starting eleven, despite the game having no significance for the Portuguese team, led to an unfortunate personal record for Ronaldo. It is the first time he has finished the group stage of a major international tournament (Euro or World Cup) without scoring a single goal. Clearly, he will need to perform much better in the round of 16 against Slovenia.
