'You've been trying to kill me for 23 years' - should Ronaldo start?
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- Cristiano Ronaldo, addressing media ahead of Portugal's World Cup last-16 tie against Spain (Monday, 20:00 BST, Dallas Stadium), confirmed this is his final World Cup and fired back at critics: "You have been trying to kill me for the past 23 years."
- Ronaldo scored his first knockout-stage World Cup goal — a penalty against Croatia in the last-32 match — before being substituted; replacement Goncalo Ramos then helped Portugal through in a chaotic finish.
- At 41 and seven months from turning 42, Ronaldo has three goals at this tournament but has taken 15 shots without creating a chance for a teammate, and across six World Cups has failed to convert any of his 30 non-penalty shots in knockout matches.
- Ronaldo is international football's all-time leading scorer with 146 goals and has now found the net at all six World Cups he has played in (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026).
- Roberto Martinez has started Ronaldo in 36 of 44 games since taking charge of Portugal in 2023, but the team's two biggest wins of the cycle — 9-0 against Luxembourg and 9-1 against Armenia — both came without him.
- Former Portugal international Antonio Simoes argued Ronaldo "doesn't play to win, he plays to be the main figure," calling him "the opposite of Eusebio."
Why it matters: Coach Roberto Martinez faces a real selection dilemma: Ronaldo has fired 15 shots without creating a chance at this tournament, and Portugal's two biggest wins of the cycle came without him. Starting him honors a 146-goal legend and cultural icon, but the underlying stats show Portugal's attack has functioned more freely with Ramos leading the line.
