Portugal Missed Golden Generation World Cup Opportunity

Portugal should not have let Roberto Martinez and Cristiano Ronaldo waste a golden opportunity to win a World Cup with a 'golden generation'.

Wayne Rooney described Cristiano Ronaldo's final appearance at the World Cup as 'a sad day for football'. But, in reality, it was not.

Ronaldo may be one of the most iconic figures in sports history. But, looking at Spain's victory over a lackluster Portugal and Belgium's heavy defeat of the USA together, July 6, 2026, was a very good day for football.

Of course, this does not mean that millions of fans worldwide were not disappointed by the death of Ronaldo's World Cup 'dream'. After the personal disaster of Qatar 2022, he too felt that everything was over for him.

But to be able to play in a sixth World Cup at the age of 41 is objectively an incredible achievement, testifying to his remarkable perseverance and famous fitness routine.

Speaking on BBC Sport about his former Manchester United teammate, Rooney said, 'He is a talented player, a superstar. What he has given to football is very rare. He will be disappointed because he believed he could win this competition.'

However, the only other person who held that belief was Roberto Martinez. And the most tragic aspect of Portugal's early exit is that one person was repeatedly allowed to put his personal interests above the interests of the team and the nation as a whole.

• Madness

After all, there was nothing surprising about Portugal's last-16 exit in Arlington. It was predictable.

Portugal's World Cup campaign was destined to end with tears, bitterness, and accusations of gross mismanagement, just as Euro 2024 had ended. After all, if repeating the same mistake over and over again is madness, then Martinez is certainly a lunatic.

As a result, although the decision to keep Goncalo Ramos on the bench for the entire match against Spain should have been shocking, it was a continuation of Martinez's player selection policy: Ronaldo and the other 10.

Ramos had scored the winning goal coming off the bench in Portugal's lucky 2-1 win against Croatia. But there was no chance Martinez would choose the 25-year-old Ramos over Ronaldo.

• Disastrous Campaign

From the moment he was tasked with managing another nation's 'golden generation', this former Belgium coach made it clear that Ronaldo was his main man. Martinez first went to Saudi Arabia and expressed his intention to build the team around the veteran forward. However, it was already clear in the 2022 World Cup that Ronaldo could no longer compete at the highest level.

The result was the disastrous campaign of Euro 2024, where Ronaldo failed to score a single goal despite taking a record 23 shots in Germany.

The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) should have sacked Martinez at that time. But the decision was made to let the indecisive Spanish coach lead the team. With Ronaldo already a passive passenger for Portugal, this summer's disaster was largely predictable.

• 'I'm back! I'm back!'

The warning signs were there from the start for Portugal, who drew 0-0 with DR Congo in the opening match of the tournament.

After scoring two goals against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo proudly announced, 'I'm back! I'm back!' But in Portugal's next lackluster performance against Colombia, he disappeared again.

The penalty against Croatia gave him the chance to score his first goal in a World Cup knockout stage. But he was so ineffective in attack (that penalty was his only touch inside the box that evening) that Martinez saw no option but to take him off at the last minute when the game seemed destined for extra time. Ramos then scored with a superb header to win the game.

• 'They have been trying to finish me for the last 23 years'

Ronaldo was very annoyed by suggestions that it was time for him to retire from his playing career. Feeling that his achievements were constantly being attacked, he retaliated.

'I will not be more or less Cristiano Ronaldo if I win the World Cup,' he said. 'I thank you for the criticism I have received at the age of 40... you grow through criticism, so thank you for doing so.'

He added, 'Whatever happens tomorrow, Cristiano Ronaldo's conscience will be clear, not 100 percent, but 1,000 percent. Because I have given my all in life and football. You have been trying to finish me for the last 23 years, but you must have seen that this is useless, just a waste of time. Yet you keep trying, keep trying. As I said before, I will stop when I want, not when you want.'

It is certainly understandable why Ronaldo feels he deserves more respect. And it must be pointed out that his place as one of the greatest goalscorers in football history is unquestionable.

However, his performance and behavior in his last three international tournaments have certainly tarnished his legacy and reputation. Because he will be remembered for doing more harm than good to the team in those last four years.

• From Blessing to Burden

Building a team around Ronaldo was completely understandable—but only up to a certain point. Age did not find Ronaldo in North America; age has had its grip on him since 2022, if not earlier.

As a result, Ronaldo was once a player who carried the team on his shoulders, and later he became a burden to the team himself. The fact that they have not even reached the semi-finals of the World Cup or the European Championship since winning the Euro Cup in 2016 fully confirms this.

Were key players like Bruno Fernandes unable to fulfill their responsibilities at the World Cup? Undoubtedly, they were not. But when many talented players on the same team perform poorly, the coach and his real assistants must be questioned.

There is no excuse for such poor performance from such a strong Portuguese team in Euro 2024 and then the World Cup.

• Should have had a good coach

Rúben Dias, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, João Neves, and Fernandes can all claim to be among the world's best players in their positions, but none came close to their usual level. Why?

Coach Martinez himself admitted that Portugal had a team capable of winning the World Cup and that now that he has failed, 'there is no point in staying there.'

To be honest, if his sole focus was on pleasing a superstar rather than building a winning team, there was no point in appointing him in the first place. Martinez's tenure was essentially a waste of time, as was that of a great group of players. Bernardo Silva and the team deserved a better, stronger manager. And Ronaldo would have been better off with such a coach.

If he could have been persuaded to accept a smaller role, he could have actually been a useful substitute (super sub) capable of influencing the game for Portugal. Instead, he was given so much leeway that he embarrassed himself once again on the biggest stage of the game. In that sense, his belated international exit was not such a sad day for Portugal. Amidst gratitude for his contributions to them in his golden years, his farewell was actually a relief.

Goal.com