Christian Vieri did not hold back when sharing his thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo‘s performance at 41 years old. Vieri believes Ronaldo has noticeably lost a step and that he puts his team at a disadvantage.
Ronaldo, as well as Portugal’s then-head coach Roberto Martinez, were criticized during the World Cup. Martinez was criticized for how he managed the Portuguese legend in his lineup. ‘CR7,’ meanwhile, was criticized for not welcoming a role as a substitute.
Although Ronaldo scored two goals against Uzbekistan and another against Croatia, Portugal was eliminated by Spain in the Round of 16.
Still, Ronaldo made history by scoring in six World Cup tournaments. It was likely his final chance at winning the trophy. However, it does not appear as though he plans to retire from international play just yet.
Christian Vieri Says Cristiano Ronaldo Put Portugal at a Disadvantage
Christian Vieri revealed that he requested to attend the Round of 16 matchup between Spain and Portugal. There, he was able to get a better idea of how Cristiano Ronaldo performs both with and without the ball.
“I wanted to see [Ronaldo] from the field, I want to stay there and I want to see how he is. And I have to tell you I was very disappointed, because I have a lot of love and respect for him very much, he is phenomenal, he is fit. But, he shouldn’t have been playing the full 90 minutes from the beginning because it was like there were 10 players and him. It was never him playing a lot with the teammates,” Vieri said during his appearance on The Late Run.
“If I was him of if I was the coach, I would have made him play for 90 minutes. Players get more tired when they play. He is 41 years old. Even though he has abs, you can see his abs, but it doesn’t mean that you are fit to play for 90 minutes,” Vieri said. “Players get tired and there is more space in the last 20-30 minutes when a team has to score and I have to win. You have more space, more chances.”
Vieri Says Ronaldo Was Not Effective Against Spain
Vieri also shared his reaction after watching Ronaldo’s performance against Spain and said he was not effective. According to the Italian soccer legend, Ronaldo was not able to find space and take over the match.
“He didn’t even touch the ball, but it is possible that he didn’t touch the ball because you know that this happens. This is how the game works, but he was never there,” Vieri told The Late Run.
Vieri also said Ronaldo cannot be compared to Lionel Messi, who can be more effective because he plays a different position.
“It is not that [Ronaldo] cannot play, it is just that the situation has changed with age. He is different. His physique is different,” he said. “So to play at 41, you have to be like dynamite. Messi is different. Even though he is in the middle, he can give assists. This is a different situation. You cannot compare him with Messi because this is not the right situation.”
Christian Vieri Shares Blunt Take on Cristiano Ronaldo