"Your time has passed": Cristiano Ronaldo in the crosshairs of the Portuguese press

José Manuel Delgado, the former Portuguese goalkeeper and writer at "A Bola" newspaper, has taken aim at Al-Nassr and Saudi star Cristiano Ronaldo after his departure from the Portugal national team camp today, Wednesday, arguing that his international career has run its course.

Writing in the widely circulated Portuguese newspaper , Delgado suggested that Ronaldo, 41, could still offer the national team his experience, his charisma and a few minutes, but he refused to accept a reduced role. His historic numbers with Portugal make him one of the greatest players in the history of football, Delgado added, yet they do not grant him the right to start forever.

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Delgado revealed he had urged Ronaldo to bow out after the 2022 World Cup, insisting the gap between what the player wants and what his body can deliver has become clear. He also drew two comparisons after the 2026 World Cup. One was the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, enchanting in his youth then painful to watch on his return years later. The other was Dorian Gray, the character who refuses to acknowledge the passing of time.

"An unjustified continuation"

Over the years, Delgado wrote, Ronaldo has lost much of the speed that once made him so devastating, and his relationship with the ball is no longer what it was. His continuation with the national team in recent seasons can no longer be justified by the output he used to provide.

The writer then turned to the dawn of the "Jesus era". The Portuguese coach, who managed Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, has realised the national team cannot compete at its best when "the Don" contributes so little to defensive work, while offensively he can no longer supply the speed, skill and reactions of old.

Ronaldo sitting on the bench against Norway, followed by Gonçalo Ramos scoring the winner, laid bare the shift inside the squad, Delgado argued. The issue is no longer about what Jesus said or did. It is simply that "Ronaldo's time has passed".

Delgado closed by pledging to remain grateful for everything Ronaldo has given Portugal, yet he branded the former Real Madrid star a sporting burden on the team. He criticised the manner of his exit from the camp and insisted that this phase demands the players chosen by Jesus prove a fundamental truth in football: that "no one wins anything alone, whatever his name may be".