There is something sad, almost uncomfortable, about watching Cristiano Ronaldo bring his story with Portugal to an end in this way. Not because the player no longer has the right to feel frustrated, and certainly not because everything he has accomplished with the Seleção should be erased. Quite the opposite. It is precisely because his legacy is so immense that the final chapter of his international career increasingly feels like the wrong ending. At 41, with 234 caps and 146 goals, Ronaldo has nothing left to prove to Portuguese soccer. And yet, he still seems determined to show that he must remain the main character. Even when the story has begun to move forward without him.
The latest episode is particularly revealing. After being left on the bench for the entire victory over Norway, the first time he had been an unused substitute in a competitive Portugal match since Euro 2008, Ronaldo did not take part in the team’s collective training sessions in the following days. The Portuguese Football Federation initially attempted to calm the situation by explaining that his individual work required equipment that was unavailable at the stadium. Jorge Jesus then announced that his captain would not play against Denmark. A few hours later, Ronaldo left the national team camp. In a message posted on social media, he explained that he had made the decision following the coach’s press conference and a conversation with Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença, promising to “tell the truth” to the Portuguese people “in due time.”
Perhaps that is what has become most exhausting: with Ronaldo, every frustration becomes a national affair. A substitution, a place on the bench, a training session, a handshake, walking off the field. Everything seems to have to revolve around him. As if Portugal must always continue to revolve around its No. 7. As if the collective, after benefiting so enormously from his talent for so many years, must now continue adapting to his need to remain indispensable.
The frustration of a competitor at his level is understandable. It is even possible to understand why a player who spent 20 years refusing to accept defeat would struggle to become a substitute. But there is a difference between wanting to keep playing and refusing to accept the passage of time. Ronaldo now seems to be confusing the two.
Because the problem is no longer simply physical or statistical. It has become a footballing issue. Portugal no longer necessarily needs Cristiano Ronaldo to start every game, let alone an attack built entirely around him. International soccer has continued to evolve. The demands of pressing, movement, transitions, and the ability to contribute to the overall game have become increasingly central. And when he is unable to provide enough in those areas, his historical status should not guarantee him a place in the starting XI. The Portugal jersey is not a reward for past services.
That is precisely what makes the contrast with what he once represented so painful. Ronaldo carried this national team for years. He endured the boos, the criticism, the eliminations, and the responsibility. He won Euro 2016 and the 2019 Nations League, broke virtually every record imaginable, and transformed Portugal into a nation that no longer entered major tournaments feeling destined to watch others win. His story with the Seleção should have been told as that of a player who single-handedly changed his country’s status on the international stage.
Instead, since the 2022 World Cup, the final chapters have been overshadowed by the same questions: Why does Ronaldo still play? Why is he substituted? Why is he on the bench? Why doesn’t he celebrate with his teammates? Why does his entourage react? Why does the coach constantly have to explain his decisions? In Qatar, his demotion behind Gonçalo Ramos had already turned the end of his tournament into a major storyline. Four years later, the same scenario is unfolding in another form. And after being left on the bench against Norway, Ronaldo did not join his teammates for the celebrations on the field before heading straight to the locker room, further fueling the tension surrounding his situation.
The irony is that Ronaldo now appears to be fighting a battle that no longer exists. For years, his rivalry with Lionel Messi fueled world soccer. It defined an era, divided generations, and drove endless debates. But that race is over. Messi has won the World Cup. Ronaldo has his European Championship and his records. Each has built a career monumental enough that the constant comparison no longer makes much sense. Continuing to play as though he still has something to prove against the Argentine means chasing a debate that has already reached its conclusion.
Ronaldo should be the first person to understand that. His legacy no longer needs to be defended in every game. He does not need a goal against Denmark to remind everyone who he is. He does not need a starting role to justify 20 years with the national team. And above all, Portugal does not need every decision involving its captain to become a national drama. When Jorge Jesus insists that no player will change his ideas and that Ronaldo must accept the coach’s decisions, he is ultimately reminding everyone of a basic rule: the Seleção belongs to Portugal, not Cristiano Ronaldo.
There was, however, a beautiful way to imagine his departure. That of a great champion gradually accepting the need to make room for the next generation, appearing less frequently, sharing his experience, and choosing for himself the moment when he would close the book. One final tournament, a few appearances, perhaps one last goal, followed by a departure worthy of his career. Not necessarily spectacular. Simply dignified.
Instead, every new international window seems to add another chapter to the saga. And that is precisely what Cristiano Ronaldo should avoid. Because by trying too hard to control the ending, he risks allowing the ending to control his legacy.
It must be said without hesitation: Cristiano Ronaldo has done an enormous amount for Portugal. Perhaps more than any other player in the country’s history. But that does not give him the right to demand that Portugal stop with him. He was the main character for two decades. He should now accept that others can become the main characters too.
The greatest victory for a champion is not always standing until the very last day. Sometimes, it is understanding that the last day has arrived.
For the Cristiano Ronaldo legend, perhaps it is time to walk away.