• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Cristiano Ronaldo's disasterclass against Spain shown in highlights reel

Home> Football

Updated 08:22 28 Sep 2022 GMT+1Published 08:12 28 Sep 2022 GMT+1

Cristiano Ronaldo's disasterclass against Spain shown in highlights reel

Cristiano Ronaldo has fallen out of favour at Manchester United and now his form will be worrying Portugal fans ahead of the World Cup.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Before kick off there were calls for Cristiano Ronaldo to be dropped by Portugal, and his performance against Spain won't have done his defence to stay in the team any good.

This could quite easily be described as the worst period in Ronaldo's career, as far as form on the pitch is concerned, as the five time Ballon d'Or winner approaches his 38th birthday.

He has been dropped by new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, only starting three games this season, with only one of those being a win.

Advert

It looks unlikely that he will force his way back into the starting line up of a team who look better without him right now, especially after a summer where he wanted out of Old Trafford.

However, now his place in the Portugal team for the World Cup is coming into question, even though he's recently said he also wants to play at Euro 2024, with Portuguese outlet A Bola using the headline 'Less Ronaldo, More Portugal,' ahead of the Nations League group decider against Spain.

A Bola's headline called for 'less Ronaldo.'
A Bola's headline called for 'less Ronaldo.'

They argued that his lack of game time and goals meant he should have been benched, with the former Real Madrid star failing to score and giving away a penalty in the previous game against Czech Republic.

Advert

Despite the headline, Fernando Santos decided to start the superstar forward against their neighbours on Tuesday night, with fans remembering his hat-trick against the same opponents at the 2018 World Cup.

But the match and performance were far from a throwback to Russia, and compilations of his highlights show he was far from his best.

Shots were missed, passes went askew and he was generally left looking pretty frustrating. One fan even sarcastically, or at least you have to hope it was, put the goat emoji alongside the video.

One Ronaldo fan page even accepted the issues, saying, "Ronaldo has lost his powers and its pretty acceptable at the age of 37.

Advert

"We have to accept he's not the same guy anymore."

A United page added, "Cristiano Ronaldo still has the mentality, but his abilities are fading, and it's normal with age. No matter how much you love him, have to admit it's time to gradually step aside.

"I'm not criticising him. Just a reminder that every good thing MUST come to an end."

Portuguese football journalist Zach Lowry added, "There is absolutely zero explanation for Cristiano Ronaldo to still be a starter for Portugal in 2022. Not when there's Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix and so many other talented players waiting in the wings.

Advert

"Another anonymous performance from him today."

And it wasn't just his performance being criticised, with the Portugal captain spotted throwing away the armband after the match was over.

The inaugural Nations League winners only needed a draw to make it through to the finals of the third edition of the tournament.

Advert

They looked well on their way to securing a point, despite Ronaldo's poor performance, before Alvaro Morata's late goal for the visitors.

Instead Spain took top spot in the group to make it into the semi finals, along with Italy, Netherlands and Croatia.

SPORTbible Stories is the brand-new podcast from the SPORT team at LADbible. The latest episode features a chat with WWE legend Triple H who opens up on his long in-ring career, his rivalry with The Rock during WWE's Attitude Era and Logan Paul's fledgling wrestling career. You can watch the episode here.

Featured Image Credit: Twitter

Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, Manchester United, Spain, UEFA Nations League

Ryan Sidle
Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a journalist for SPORTbible with over eight years of experience. Passionate about all sports, he mainly covers football and F1 - Daniel Ricciardo once spent an entire interview referring to him as 'Ryan Gosling,' still his proudest moment.

X

@Sidler28

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • GettyGetty
    6 hours ago

    Hugo Ekitike Reacts to Alexander Isak Arrival Amid Liverpool Fears

    Alexander Isak signed for Liverpool in a £130 million move, following on from the £69 million capture of Hugo Ekitike.

    Football
  • GettyGetty
    6 hours ago

    FIFA Ban Ex-Man City Star From Playing After Deadline Day Disaster

    The Manchester City thought he had completed the move on deadline day but a mishap means he will not be able to play.

    Football
  • GettyGetty
    9 hours ago

    Marc Guehi Ready For Drastic Response After Liverpool Transfer Collapse

    Marc Guehi's thoughts and feelings have emerged after his £35 million move to Liverpool collapsed at the final hurdle.

    Football
  • Getty ImagesGetty Images
    9 hours ago

    Rio Ferdinand Claims Arsenal Player Sent Him Private Message Over Criticism

    He hit back at Ferdinand with a passionate response.

    Football
  • Cristiano Ronaldo makes honest confession about playing for Portugal as he explains why he was crying after Nations League final
  • Fans make bold Lamine Yamal Ballon d'Or claim as Spain lose Nations League final to Portugal
  • The strict UEFA rule Spain or Portugal must follow if they win the Nations League
  • Cristiano Ronaldo makes his feelings clear on Lamine Yamal after lacklustre performance in Nations League final