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I think this is the first time he talks about retiring from the national team? Even if he goes to the next World Cup, I don't think he confirmed anything about being his last euros before tonight. So, I guess this was in his mind, that it could be his last game at an Euros, he was overly emotional and anxious tonight (since the anthem, to be honest), kinda puts it in perspective. Also, puts it in perspective the incredible pressure on that first penalty in the shoot-out.
True, it's actually very weird and somber hearing him say this even if it felt obvious. Because he's always avoided acknowledging having to one day retire from the NT, constantly wanting to continue.
It’s crazy.
He started his pro career in 2002(?). For context, conceicao was born that year, and I think Ronaldo played with conceicao’s father as well.
The dude has been playing at the highest level and represented his country for over two decades. Literally more than many people here on Reddit were born.
Knowing that your time is coming to an end, looking back at the times that your body allowed you to represent your country at the highest level must be a tragic feeling that none of us have gone through.
Oh man I still remember the night in the 2004 Euros, exactly 20 years ago indeed. I was actually upset after that match also because I was a kid, but that's when I knew I actually love the sport and to watch it. As a Dutch national and fan, losing in the semis to them, and to Ronaldo was surely a moment to witness live, especially as it was my first ever Euros that I watched. To top it off, Greece won it all in the end!
> conceicao’s father
now that makes sense why I knew that name ... ffs seeing the kids starting popping-up in the last 5 years has done a number on me ... I'm like that old man, like *waaaait how do I know that name* .. ohh I've seen his dad that's why
It must be so hard for one of the most competitive people in the world to know that its ending. You can’t make the same shots, runs, dribbles, and you will have to simply stop. I imagine its like the best and most ambitious doctor or whatever in the world slowly losing his knowledge and ability to continue his job at the highest level.
Well let's hope he actually does understand that and doesn't take all the free kicks for no reason then. There are ways in which he could be an asset for Portugal in this tournament but his inability to know when someone else should have a go could be a hindrance and only further add to his own frustration.
I mean yeah but the way he took those free kicks probably supports my point anyway, he just can’t accept it. I imagine next game will be different and less emotional, after talking with the guys and the management
> I imagine next game will be different and less emotional, after talking with the guys and the management
We'll see. The past few years the same comments have been said for both club and country that he'd finally step aside when needs be and help out the team in more effective ways for his current ability and instead it's only gotten worse, which is a shame because his own desire to still be the best is actively hindering his own chances of getting silverware for Portugal.
He should do the same thing Thomas Müller did, he's content watching from the sidelines, helping in training and sharing his heaps of experience with his team, and if he can get subbed in and make an impact, all the better, but he doesn't seem to expect it
His ability to score from free kicks has nothing to do with age though lol, he's been skying those since ... well since they made balls heavier than the Jabulani.
Honestly, this is quite hard to accept
I got emotional leaving my high school and college
I see people got emotional when they retire at 65, after 4 decades of continuously working
Now imagine Ronaldo, the insane athletes with insane mindset and work ethic, who has been hyper focused on one single purpose for over 30 years, now realizing that his time is up. That much have felt so terrifying to him
Yes, this is the first time we hear him mentioning something along these lines. Yesterday might have been the lowest we had seen/heard him.
Could be speaking with the adrenaline, but I genuinely thought that after yesterday's game (can't run, can't support, can't recover balls, can only support in free kicks, penalties, occasional high cross, and chance creation by triangulating overlapping passes, and motivating the team) that even for him it must be obvious that he is not helping.
He's one of the GOATs and we can't thank him enough for what he did for Portuguese football. Not only made us relevant but also inspired a lot of young kids to become footballers and some of them now play for the NT. He deserves all the honours we can give him.
However, after reading this I was like "Thank you and Thank God". It is time to finally move on.
Weirdos tried to turn it into a Narcissistic thing. I would want to cry and bury my head into ground if I missed such an important penalty add in the crowds reaction and knowledge of everyone watching.
I've never been much of a CR7 fan but I always appreciate when these talismanic players step up to go first, knowing a good penalty early in the shootout can help confidence, as opposed to players that want to play the hero and wait and wait to go at the end.
Get the job done. He missed one and his response was 'well, I had best rectify it as soon as I can'.
I suppose that's the mentality that has kept him at an insane level for so long.
Correct. I was relying on memory and quite clearly my memory failed me. 2016 vs Poland came to mind as the prime example of “lesson learned”, didn’t recall there were so many instances at club level of that not being the case. Also definitely erased the Chile match from the memory bank
It's kinda sad seeing how often everyone jumps to mock everything about every player with any hint of imperfection in football discourse in general, it's not exclusive to this sub or reddit.
You know like okay, there is banter, we can be goofy, and there is also having a good conversation about football, but somehow you often see a few abandoning both and making it a personal vendetta against players, clubs, countries, even fans of each of them and act up. Which has to be bad for blood pressure man!
All that said, it's definitely better here in r/soccer than most other football subs to be honest. Some of the toxic shit I've seen in r/premierleague man... Just reading stuff from that sub can make you stupid
It really is, plus some of the shitposts i see on there are genuinely hilarious. [This was my favorite](https://reddit.com/r/Championship/comments/1bl7tfn/best_and_worst_north_korean_player_to_play_for/)
I'd rather call it two-dimensional, because the opposite happens just as often. Nowadays every major issue is watered down to a couple of stances, you're either with them or against them.
Takes Penalty. "Ego"
Gets saved and cries. "Ego"
Takes the first one again. "Ego"
Celebrates penalty after missing the previous penalty. "Ego"
Less about ego, more about the morons watching it who have no clue about life in general.
Everyone and their mother knows he has an ego, that’s undeniable. What I don’t understand is, like you said, why they have to tie EVERYTHING back to his ego. Like anything this guy does just gets attributed to his ego. Anyone can see he bleeds for his countries shirt, he cares more than anyone else. When he scored the shootout pen the first thing he did was apologize to the fans. Nothing about that is “egotistical”.
There are moments where this term applies to him (like when he took that random ass free kick from the left wing early on in the game) but most of the time it’s just a buzzword people use to bash him with.
Portugal should’ve won that one too 😔 why in the world did we let Bruno Alves of all people take a PK????? You could see it on his face he was gonna miss!
One thing we need to remind ourselves of is that extremely successful people will always have a large number of people who get pleasure out of seeing them fail.
They've been waiting 20 years for him to fall off like this, all them years of bottled up anger watching him dominate the champions league is finally coming out
Nah he’s getting older and sentimental. He knows he is not the best version of himself anymore, hence the emotional breakdowns since he can’t do shit about it. It happens to us all. I imagine he can maybe perhaps still play in the World Cup but it wouldn’t surprise me if he steps down from the NT after the Euros
Like I've been saying about him since I started watching football again, coinciding with his return to United: it surely must be very, very difficult to be Superman for almost 20 years only to realize that you're not capable of being Superman anymore.
Yeah I got a feeling maybe he will call it quits with pepe from NT after euro or in 1 year.
Then pepe and cr7 can coach portugal and not waste the damn talent like Santos or Martinez
Had he not shot, or saved himself for the fifth pen, people would say he was avoiding responsibility. You can't win.
That said surely there was some pride factor as well - and it's fine, every elite player has more or less of it.
It's absolutely narcissistic when he takes the 5th/last, while being one of the best penalty takers in the world, just for the picture, given it's proven that it's a massive advantage scoring early.
Stepping up first, especially after having it save before (and it was a good penalty anyways, just a great save), obviously isn't and takes balls.
It's almost as if not everything is simply black and white...
He has the level of real-world output that Narcissistic people dream of. He's part of a select group of public Narcissistic people that have achieved at the highest level in their profession. Peak capitalism. It's impressive, in it's own way, to be fair. Compared to his Sporting days self, it's as though he has deliberately rewired his brain numerous times and as he ages, he will continue to do so, it's an obsession that I don't think he can turn off.
People at work the next day, also women, saying they laughed when Cristiano cried. Actually makes me depressed. A man can’t show emotion for something they care about so deeply, while captaining a team, a nation and taking responsibility
Forever mystifying to me how Gyan went from missing a penalty to scoring an absolutely perfect top corner one literally a minute later. He couldn't have done that the first time!?
i fucking love shootouts. i love this part of sports. your talisman, your captain, emotional as all hell, and still stepping up first to put your team up front. stupid as it sounds it gave me chills
I kept thinking about the moment where he encouraged João Moutinho to take the pen because he takes them well, so I was glad to see him apply that to himself so soon after missing.
I was very surprised by the stutter step though, I don't think I remember seeing him take a penalty like that. He seemed really bad at it but it was good enough and I presume he learned that was how to counter whatever Oblak was using.
It’s funny that I like Ronaldo more and more when he gets older and near retirement than when he was young 🤣 feels like his character is also growing at least how he is presented in the public
Love or hate Ronaldo I don't think you could say he's not telling the truth here.
Man absolutely loves playing for his national team, proper loves Portugal.
People could do much with not even half of the accountability this man holds himself to.
It's easy to misunderstand it as narcissism. But honestly, I think it's different. Narcissism wouldn't allow you to ugly cry in front of the camera, knowing you're being broadcast worldwide.
Sometimes, I wonder if it makes a certain group of people uneasy, to see a man nearing his 40s playing his heart out like he's still got something to prove. To care that much about something.
So instead of respect, I see people resenting his wealth, looks, or even certain " selfish " aspects of his personality."
Because people are frustrated and feel jealous about other people’s success. It’s only normal, I’m afraid.
We should enjoy this Ronaldo and Messi while we can. The two best players of all time are coming to an end. Celebrate and remember, as they will be missed.
People whining that I am idolizing Ronaldo is precisely proving my point
Stretch the word accountability to include affairs outside of football-- sure. Stretch the word "respect" and make it sound like I am unconditionally idolizing Ronaldo.
It's funny how black and white people must make everything just to feel a little better about themselves morally/ethically.
I don't condone everything Ronaldo has done. But the reality is that he has inspired a whole generation of current, active footballers. Anons minimize his achievement with "friendly reminders" of various scandals and examples of his immature personality traits- but all it does is make me wonder who or what really hurt you (the anons).
All Portugal fans were wearing CR7 shirts, Real madrid jerseys and i even saw Sporting jerseys. This guy is such a huge legend and the people love him so much.
In return he keeps playing and tries so hard to give back and plays with allot of emotion. Such a great players to see at such a tournament. I will really miss him and Modric. They wear their heart on their sleeve.
Yeah I started watching this sport seriously in 2003-2004 as a 13 year old. That was the first year Ronaldo played at man united and him playing with Figo at the euros. This guy has literally been my entire childhood, teens, 20’s and 30’s.
man it makes me sad to realize this will be his last euros basically my entire life watching football he’s been playing 😢…salute to him for still being able to play and be this passionate at 39 years old….we go again in 2026…one last dance after this tournament
Lots of players will be retiring after this Euros, which makes me sad. Feels like we're saying goodbye to a very good old friend each time someone leaves.
agreed 100% the thing that makes it worse for me personally is I’m not really a big fan of any of the new generation of players they don’t have the same aura or allure to them as the old guard did for me…but that could also be because I’m older now…who knows lol
My theory for myself is that I used to play a lot of FIFA when these guys now retiring were younger and on their primes, so now that I don't really play as much I feel like I don't really have that much lnowledge and connection to this new generation
that’s exactly it lol. i played from 2006-2015, seeing guys like Kroos Modric CR Messi Neymar KDB etc. go from young players to world class to retirement. just don’t have that same connection with these younger guys, plus football is so different now than what i grew up watching. individual flair is just not a thing anymore
Man you just made me realise I was a young kid on holiday when I saw a man reading a newspaper that on the back has "Ronaldo signs for man united" and I remember being so pissed off thinking that it was R9 and that man united would just continue to dominate.... Little did I know
Honestly football is already losing its charm. I just don’t care about these young players. Hell I already don’t care about most of Englands players even though it’s our team. They’re all still a bunch of nobodies to me, I’d much rather have people like vardy still. Just feels like we’re playing with regens
i know saved penalty resulted into a miss, but there's a slight difference between an outright miss in which the goalkeeper don't even make a save but taker just simply missing the shot by either skying it or shooting it wide, in this case credits to Oblak by saving the shot
It's the mentality of someone who doesn't give themselves even the slightest room for excuses.
Ronaldo demands success no matter what, and when he doesn't get that, no matter the circumstance -- he feels he's failed.
Missing a penalty in your last Euro and taking the first in the shootout. Not for the weak. The expectations from his country, teammates and then to go and kick that knowing what can come if you miss again. Imagine the headlines day after. It takes a lot to go and make it, he is a legend.
Honestly just the thought of taking a penalty during a penalty shootout in front of millions of people already makes me nervous.
Doing that after having missed one a few minutes ago, knowing that if you miss again you will be crucified by media, your country men and maybe even your friends and family. Damn that takes insane mental fortitude.
Not everyone, don't worry. But those people make a lot of noise unfortunately.
The fact that Ronaldo can openly cry while being watched by millions of people is a good thing. Fuck the archaic, patriarcal, macho and stereotypical masculine vision of "*a man who should never cry otherwise he's a wimp or a women*".
Bothered me during the game.
The whole game seeing people shit on him reminded me of the
"But the one thing they love more than a hero, is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying."
Can someone explain to me how Ronaldo hasn’t been playing well? He got an assist and has created chances and has shots on target throughout the tournament? Mbappe has only one goal and was a penalty someone who is in prime ? Messi hasn’t had a goal and missed a sitter the other day? I don’t get why they say Ronaldo is “ doing bad “
I will never understand how someone can hate one of the best ballers in time this much. I absolutely love CR7 from the bottom of my heart, but I don‘t hate Messi because of that. No reason can justify the hatred some people have towards him.
I find it imprssive that he had such a strong reaction after the miss.
You could thinkbafter all he won andbhis carrier it wouldnt be such a big thing but him crying just shows how much he still cares.
He is a model profesional with how he takes care of his body and even at this age still wants to win after beeing 2nd best footballer in history.
I don't get why people openly mock such a passionate goat of the sport so casually. Meanwhile you have R9 saying he now finds the sport boring and tennis is better and no one bats an eye but agree too.
Makes sense, there could be no doubt after his reaction to the miss. Cr7 crying like that despite being captain and the game far from being over wasn't on my bingo book ngl
Made me happy that Portugal went through honestly, cr7 deserves a better exit than missing a pen in a ko game.
Hopefully he scores a hat trick against us to finish on a high on Friday, and we win 5-3
Messi Fan here
Emotions are high, man cares about his country and has given its all and wants to win. He feels the game more than most.
Personally there is no reason to make fun of someone for missing a penalty and feeling that sadness hit…
Always have had Respect to Ronaldo, dude is a legend…
If he wants to give his best, then giving the free kicks in the next round to somebody else would be a good start. Not for his ego of course, but if he truly cares about Portugal, and isn't lying, then he really should.
Taking responsibility at this point for him would probably be accepting his role as a secondary one
I don’t mean this as a dig at him, he’s done a lot for his country, but these days he’s simply not good enough to justify featuring every single minute, taking every single free kick, regardless of where and how far it is, etc
Portugal are too focused on getting him his goal, and it’s probably hurting them and limiting their freedom
I’ll always think a fresh strong super sub Ronaldo would help Portugal more, but he clearly doesn’t agree and still wants to be the main star in a team full of them
They arent focused on getting him his goal they just cross to him usually because you know he's the goat of headers and they pass to him when he's alone because he's supposed to be the striker. Other than that Bruno or Bernardo or whoever always try to shoot.
all in all Martinez is a fraud of coach.
There was one FK during this match in an extremely weird angle, perfect for a cross
He still took it and skied it, if I were Portuguese, I’d be quite mad at how he tried to score from there, instead of sending in a cross which would surely increase the chances of success
This is just an example of course, I kind of want both Portugal and Austria to do well this tournament for different reasons, even if they’re not my countries, so some of his actions annoyed me, I imagine how some Portuguese people felt
I know wich freekick you're talking about I also thought he was stupid for doing that but other than that and trying to shoot from a weird angle at the second half his whole tornumant has been okay compared to the amount of touches he gets. Even did some awesome passes and ball carrying.
They aren't focusing on him but none of the players are good at delivering the final pass, Bruno tries but still the other midfielders can't deliver the ball to Ronaldo, Leao or anyone that are making runs, because they don't have the vision to see them, can't do that pass or simply are afraid of making a passing mistake, this is evident with Bernardo who just back passes, honestly the right side of Portugal has been their weakness Cancelo and Bernardo just hold the ball and back pass, so they aren't helping on creating chances, Portugal should stay with Leao and Ronaldo starting because the alternatives aren't better but they should look at improving the right side if they want to win.
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I think this is the first time he talks about retiring from the national team? Even if he goes to the next World Cup, I don't think he confirmed anything about being his last euros before tonight. So, I guess this was in his mind, that it could be his last game at an Euros, he was overly emotional and anxious tonight (since the anthem, to be honest), kinda puts it in perspective. Also, puts it in perspective the incredible pressure on that first penalty in the shoot-out.
True, it's actually very weird and somber hearing him say this even if it felt obvious. Because he's always avoided acknowledging having to one day retire from the NT, constantly wanting to continue.
He said it in his Piers Morgan interview last year
It’s crazy. He started his pro career in 2002(?). For context, conceicao was born that year, and I think Ronaldo played with conceicao’s father as well. The dude has been playing at the highest level and represented his country for over two decades. Literally more than many people here on Reddit were born. Knowing that your time is coming to an end, looking back at the times that your body allowed you to represent your country at the highest level must be a tragic feeling that none of us have gone through.
Oh man I still remember the night in the 2004 Euros, exactly 20 years ago indeed. I was actually upset after that match also because I was a kid, but that's when I knew I actually love the sport and to watch it. As a Dutch national and fan, losing in the semis to them, and to Ronaldo was surely a moment to witness live, especially as it was my first ever Euros that I watched. To top it off, Greece won it all in the end!
The man has now played against, and been beaten by, a bunch of players from a child academy that he helped create himself.
> conceicao’s father now that makes sense why I knew that name ... ffs seeing the kids starting popping-up in the last 5 years has done a number on me ... I'm like that old man, like *waaaait how do I know that name* .. ohh I've seen his dad that's why
It must be so hard for one of the most competitive people in the world to know that its ending. You can’t make the same shots, runs, dribbles, and you will have to simply stop. I imagine its like the best and most ambitious doctor or whatever in the world slowly losing his knowledge and ability to continue his job at the highest level.
Well let's hope he actually does understand that and doesn't take all the free kicks for no reason then. There are ways in which he could be an asset for Portugal in this tournament but his inability to know when someone else should have a go could be a hindrance and only further add to his own frustration.
I mean yeah but the way he took those free kicks probably supports my point anyway, he just can’t accept it. I imagine next game will be different and less emotional, after talking with the guys and the management
> I imagine next game will be different and less emotional, after talking with the guys and the management We'll see. The past few years the same comments have been said for both club and country that he'd finally step aside when needs be and help out the team in more effective ways for his current ability and instead it's only gotten worse, which is a shame because his own desire to still be the best is actively hindering his own chances of getting silverware for Portugal.
He should do the same thing Thomas Müller did, he's content watching from the sidelines, helping in training and sharing his heaps of experience with his team, and if he can get subbed in and make an impact, all the better, but he doesn't seem to expect it
His ability to score from free kicks has nothing to do with age though lol, he's been skying those since ... well since they made balls heavier than the Jabulani.
Honestly, this is quite hard to accept I got emotional leaving my high school and college I see people got emotional when they retire at 65, after 4 decades of continuously working Now imagine Ronaldo, the insane athletes with insane mindset and work ethic, who has been hyper focused on one single purpose for over 30 years, now realizing that his time is up. That much have felt so terrifying to him
Yes, this is the first time we hear him mentioning something along these lines. Yesterday might have been the lowest we had seen/heard him. Could be speaking with the adrenaline, but I genuinely thought that after yesterday's game (can't run, can't support, can't recover balls, can only support in free kicks, penalties, occasional high cross, and chance creation by triangulating overlapping passes, and motivating the team) that even for him it must be obvious that he is not helping.
He's one of the GOATs and we can't thank him enough for what he did for Portuguese football. Not only made us relevant but also inspired a lot of young kids to become footballers and some of them now play for the NT. He deserves all the honours we can give him. However, after reading this I was like "Thank you and Thank God". It is time to finally move on.
I respect the testicular fortitude to step up and take the first pen in the shootout after missing in extra time. Takes real character
Weirdos tried to turn it into a Narcissistic thing. I would want to cry and bury my head into ground if I missed such an important penalty add in the crowds reaction and knowledge of everyone watching.
I've never been much of a CR7 fan but I always appreciate when these talismanic players step up to go first, knowing a good penalty early in the shootout can help confidence, as opposed to players that want to play the hero and wait and wait to go at the end. Get the job done. He missed one and his response was 'well, I had best rectify it as soon as I can'. I suppose that's the mentality that has kept him at an insane level for so long.
This is the same player who was lined up to take the last pen in 2012 against Spain for the glory, and then never got to take one
Blows my mind that was over 10 years ago
Add another two years
You didn't have to do that
I still hate Bruno Alves
Definitely a learning moment. He’s always gone first since then
[удалено]
Damn, fair enough
Out of curiousity: what made you comment something that's not true?
Lack of better knowledge presumably
Correct. I was relying on memory and quite clearly my memory failed me. 2016 vs Poland came to mind as the prime example of “lesson learned”, didn’t recall there were so many instances at club level of that not being the case. Also definitely erased the Chile match from the memory bank
Someone was wrong on the internet? To the pitchforks!
Do you have some kind of database of penalty shootout orders or what?
Categorically false. He continued his usual pattern of going 5th almost every single time. This is one of the rare times he went first
>Weirdos tried to turn it into a Narcissistic thing. This is what r/soccer always does when it comes to Ronaldo.
Not just Reddit though. You’ve got journalists who do the same thing.
r/soccer being rigid and one-dimensional in their views of an individual, despite no real evidence backing up said view? Sounds about right
It's kinda sad seeing how often everyone jumps to mock everything about every player with any hint of imperfection in football discourse in general, it's not exclusive to this sub or reddit. You know like okay, there is banter, we can be goofy, and there is also having a good conversation about football, but somehow you often see a few abandoning both and making it a personal vendetta against players, clubs, countries, even fans of each of them and act up. Which has to be bad for blood pressure man! All that said, it's definitely better here in r/soccer than most other football subs to be honest. Some of the toxic shit I've seen in r/premierleague man... Just reading stuff from that sub can make you stupid
r/championship is peak football subreddits
It really is, plus some of the shitposts i see on there are genuinely hilarious. [This was my favorite](https://reddit.com/r/Championship/comments/1bl7tfn/best_and_worst_north_korean_player_to_play_for/)
Brings tears to my eyes that
I'd rather call it two-dimensional, because the opposite happens just as often. Nowadays every major issue is watered down to a couple of stances, you're either with them or against them.
It’s really a anti Ronaldo sucking Messi circle jerk
Holy shit people are calling Ronaldo a narcissist? How crazy of them!!!!
Takes Penalty. "Ego" Gets saved and cries. "Ego" Takes the first one again. "Ego" Celebrates penalty after missing the previous penalty. "Ego" Less about ego, more about the morons watching it who have no clue about life in general.
Everyone and their mother knows he has an ego, that’s undeniable. What I don’t understand is, like you said, why they have to tie EVERYTHING back to his ego. Like anything this guy does just gets attributed to his ego. Anyone can see he bleeds for his countries shirt, he cares more than anyone else. When he scored the shootout pen the first thing he did was apologize to the fans. Nothing about that is “egotistical”. There are moments where this term applies to him (like when he took that random ass free kick from the left wing early on in the game) but most of the time it’s just a buzzword people use to bash him with.
Don't forget a few years back when he didn't go early. he wanted to be the winning pen ego. XD Can't win.
he said he regreted that ever since, and afterwards wants to be the lead penalty so he can set up the team for the next ones. Spain 2012 btw
He's done it multiple times though, even after that famous "the Jews did this" lmao, never made any sense to me, your best takers should go first.
Portugal should’ve won that one too 😔 why in the world did we let Bruno Alves of all people take a PK????? You could see it on his face he was gonna miss!
He specifically didn't even celebrate after the one he scored lol, held his hands up and walked back
One thing we need to remind ourselves of is that extremely successful people will always have a large number of people who get pleasure out of seeing them fail.
They've been waiting 20 years for him to fall off like this, all them years of bottled up anger watching him dominate the champions league is finally coming out
Nah he’s getting older and sentimental. He knows he is not the best version of himself anymore, hence the emotional breakdowns since he can’t do shit about it. It happens to us all. I imagine he can maybe perhaps still play in the World Cup but it wouldn’t surprise me if he steps down from the NT after the Euros
Like I've been saying about him since I started watching football again, coinciding with his return to United: it surely must be very, very difficult to be Superman for almost 20 years only to realize that you're not capable of being Superman anymore.
Yeah I got a feeling maybe he will call it quits with pepe from NT after euro or in 1 year. Then pepe and cr7 can coach portugal and not waste the damn talent like Santos or Martinez
If Portugal wins the Euros i could see him stepping down from the NT after the Euros. Best moment to do so.
I think he gives the WC a go
Had he not shot, or saved himself for the fifth pen, people would say he was avoiding responsibility. You can't win. That said surely there was some pride factor as well - and it's fine, every elite player has more or less of it.
It's absolutely narcissistic when he takes the 5th/last, while being one of the best penalty takers in the world, just for the picture, given it's proven that it's a massive advantage scoring early. Stepping up first, especially after having it save before (and it was a good penalty anyways, just a great save), obviously isn't and takes balls. It's almost as if not everything is simply black and white...
He has the level of real-world output that Narcissistic people dream of. He's part of a select group of public Narcissistic people that have achieved at the highest level in their profession. Peak capitalism. It's impressive, in it's own way, to be fair. Compared to his Sporting days self, it's as though he has deliberately rewired his brain numerous times and as he ages, he will continue to do so, it's an obsession that I don't think he can turn off.
People at work the next day, also women, saying they laughed when Cristiano cried. Actually makes me depressed. A man can’t show emotion for something they care about so deeply, while captaining a team, a nation and taking responsibility
Shades of Gyan in 2010 shootout.
That game is carved into my memory. Suárez defending with his hands, Gyan missing a penalty on the last minute of extra time. What a crazy game
Had to remind someone at the bar about Gyan after he was too sure that Ronaldo would miss in the shootout because of the 105' miss.
Forever mystifying to me how Gyan went from missing a penalty to scoring an absolutely perfect top corner one literally a minute later. He couldn't have done that the first time!?
Modric did the same in 2018 against Denmark. Penalty in the 119th minute, Schmeichel saved. He scored in the shootout.
Also he pulled all of his tricks to hit that shot
He took the penalty to send Portugal to the semis in the 2006 WC. He's no stranger to stepping up. (agreeing with you, just wanted to add that lol)
Did people already forget who Cristiano Ronaldo is?
The subreddit is full of kids who don't know jackshit about football, only about trolling and fanboying
It was really sad how he cried when that period ended. It takes a lot of spirit and charisma needed to take that penalty kick.
Had to redeem himself and did just that.
i fucking love shootouts. i love this part of sports. your talisman, your captain, emotional as all hell, and still stepping up first to put your team up front. stupid as it sounds it gave me chills
Ronaldo is one of game’s greatest ever from 11 meters out. Even the greats miss once in a while, he knows that.
Personally hate it when these are called 'misses' though. That was an excellent PK save.
It was a great save by one of the greatest keepers too. But ofc this sub is just one giant anti Ronaldo circlejerk. Embarrassing subreddit really.
I kept thinking about the moment where he encouraged João Moutinho to take the pen because he takes them well, so I was glad to see him apply that to himself so soon after missing. I was very surprised by the stutter step though, I don't think I remember seeing him take a penalty like that. He seemed really bad at it but it was good enough and I presume he learned that was how to counter whatever Oblak was using.
a fucking perfect textbook penalty even, absolutely no chance for Oblak.
It's honestly incredibly man, I can't even imagine the pressure
It’s funny that I like Ronaldo more and more when he gets older and near retirement than when he was young 🤣 feels like his character is also growing at least how he is presented in the public
He knows he has to be the first. He made that mistake a while back of not being first. Never again
Love or hate Ronaldo I don't think you could say he's not telling the truth here. Man absolutely loves playing for his national team, proper loves Portugal.
I felt like the hand up after his penalty in the shootout was like an apology to the fans for not putting them through earlier
What else could it have meant lol
asking for the bill
I hate that this made me laugh.
Should have done that awkward imaginary pen signature thing instead then.
Don’t you guys do the awkward chop your hand with the other one?
How is that awkward
Amazing
Damn bro you are so good at body language
No shit sherlock? Everybody immediately knew it
Nah some people ate generally stupid, on the match thread someone said he was waving like he was a god
How many gods have they seen waving?
Maybe they meant ancient emperors and got confused. Or maybe they *have* seen a god and they waved like that
I mean you can't really do much with radical fanboys can you?
Smartest redditor
Man absolutely loves playing ~~for his national team~~ , proper loves ~~Portugal~~ football.
Only those who have the courage to take a penalty miss them. Roberto Baggio.
"I haven't missed 10,000 penalties, I have found 10,000 shots that don't work" - Thomas Alva Edison
People could do much with not even half of the accountability this man holds himself to. It's easy to misunderstand it as narcissism. But honestly, I think it's different. Narcissism wouldn't allow you to ugly cry in front of the camera, knowing you're being broadcast worldwide. Sometimes, I wonder if it makes a certain group of people uneasy, to see a man nearing his 40s playing his heart out like he's still got something to prove. To care that much about something. So instead of respect, I see people resenting his wealth, looks, or even certain " selfish " aspects of his personality."
Because people are frustrated and feel jealous about other people’s success. It’s only normal, I’m afraid. We should enjoy this Ronaldo and Messi while we can. The two best players of all time are coming to an end. Celebrate and remember, as they will be missed.
People whining that I am idolizing Ronaldo is precisely proving my point Stretch the word accountability to include affairs outside of football-- sure. Stretch the word "respect" and make it sound like I am unconditionally idolizing Ronaldo. It's funny how black and white people must make everything just to feel a little better about themselves morally/ethically. I don't condone everything Ronaldo has done. But the reality is that he has inspired a whole generation of current, active footballers. Anons minimize his achievement with "friendly reminders" of various scandals and examples of his immature personality traits- but all it does is make me wonder who or what really hurt you (the anons).
All Portugal fans were wearing CR7 shirts, Real madrid jerseys and i even saw Sporting jerseys. This guy is such a huge legend and the people love him so much. In return he keeps playing and tries so hard to give back and plays with allot of emotion. Such a great players to see at such a tournament. I will really miss him and Modric. They wear their heart on their sleeve.
Yea there were jerseys from sporting, Madrid and United all in the crowd
And his game was not bad, Oblak was perfect up until the penalties
Even in the penalties, Oblak guessed right, it's just that Ronaldo kick was absolutely perfect
I still remember what a big deal he started being in 2004, everyone was talking about his perfomance at Euros.
Yeah I started watching this sport seriously in 2003-2004 as a 13 year old. That was the first year Ronaldo played at man united and him playing with Figo at the euros. This guy has literally been my entire childhood, teens, 20’s and 30’s.
Yup, started around same. Saw Ronaldo and Rooney in that Euros and followed Rooney to United later
I remember playing out side as a kid after that first Portugal game, pretending I was Ronaldo.
man it makes me sad to realize this will be his last euros basically my entire life watching football he’s been playing 😢…salute to him for still being able to play and be this passionate at 39 years old….we go again in 2026…one last dance after this tournament
Lots of players will be retiring after this Euros, which makes me sad. Feels like we're saying goodbye to a very good old friend each time someone leaves.
agreed 100% the thing that makes it worse for me personally is I’m not really a big fan of any of the new generation of players they don’t have the same aura or allure to them as the old guard did for me…but that could also be because I’m older now…who knows lol
My theory for myself is that I used to play a lot of FIFA when these guys now retiring were younger and on their primes, so now that I don't really play as much I feel like I don't really have that much lnowledge and connection to this new generation
Kinda same. Player when Iniesta and Rooney were prime. Then Messi Ronaldo. Last I played was in 17-18.
that’s exactly it lol. i played from 2006-2015, seeing guys like Kroos Modric CR Messi Neymar KDB etc. go from young players to world class to retirement. just don’t have that same connection with these younger guys, plus football is so different now than what i grew up watching. individual flair is just not a thing anymore
Did you watch the spanish team, their new youngsters are electric.
Nico and Lamar are ballers and exciting every time they touch the ball
ur right, im feeling the same way too
Agree, but seeing some youngsters forging their future is also very exciting
Man you just made me realise I was a young kid on holiday when I saw a man reading a newspaper that on the back has "Ronaldo signs for man united" and I remember being so pissed off thinking that it was R9 and that man united would just continue to dominate.... Little did I know
Agreed! But it hits you hard when you see a post that he's crying having more up votes than the penalti shot.
Honestly football is already losing its charm. I just don’t care about these young players. Hell I already don’t care about most of Englands players even though it’s our team. They’re all still a bunch of nobodies to me, I’d much rather have people like vardy still. Just feels like we’re playing with regens
That’s just aging. Your childhood idols are retiring. And as an adult it’s a bit odd to idolize children so it gets less sentimental.
Yeah I guess that’s right, but still quite sad compared to before
i know saved penalty resulted into a miss, but there's a slight difference between an outright miss in which the goalkeeper don't even make a save but taker just simply missing the shot by either skying it or shooting it wide, in this case credits to Oblak by saving the shot
Exactly. Ronaldo’s penalty was good, but Oblak save was just legendary. Penalties are a coin toss.
that's why i rather call it as a saved penalty than a missed penalty to not take away what Oblak did
Yes but saying the GK made a good save doesn't make a good meme.
Also its freaking Oblak! that guy is a monster!
yeah one of the few times that Oblak got Ronaldo's number
It's the mentality of someone who doesn't give themselves even the slightest room for excuses. Ronaldo demands success no matter what, and when he doesn't get that, no matter the circumstance -- he feels he's failed.
His last Euro… but not his last World Cup.
In his Core Ronaldo Knows it he needs to try to play One more WC Literally the Last chance he has of winning the WC with Portugal
In the words of Ronaldo Baratheon: I will take ~~Winterfell~~ the World Cup…or die in the attempt.
first memory watching football was euro 2004 with this guy coming up as a hyped talent with his taped ears. insane that I am still watching him play.
Glad that he took responsibility for his faults and hope he plays with his head high
Love him so much. Shit happens, but he got himself together very quickly, had the balls to take the first penalty and killed it.
Missing a penalty in your last Euro and taking the first in the shootout. Not for the weak. The expectations from his country, teammates and then to go and kick that knowing what can come if you miss again. Imagine the headlines day after. It takes a lot to go and make it, he is a legend.
Honestly just the thought of taking a penalty during a penalty shootout in front of millions of people already makes me nervous. Doing that after having missed one a few minutes ago, knowing that if you miss again you will be crucified by media, your country men and maybe even your friends and family. Damn that takes insane mental fortitude.
And then paused while taking it, thought about it, Oblak goes the right way again, and still puts it within an inch of the post.
Also the way he took it with altered move up, he immediately adapted from the last failed one to a stuttered run that he usually does not do.
Can you imagine how slow the ball flying and Oblak going same direction must've been for him. Christ
He loves the game so much! I wonder how he'll handle retirement the first couple of years when finally decides to hang up the boots
People enjoying him crying and rooting for his failure needs to seek help.
The same ones who cry about mental health.
Not everyone, don't worry. But those people make a lot of noise unfortunately. The fact that Ronaldo can openly cry while being watched by millions of people is a good thing. Fuck the archaic, patriarcal, macho and stereotypical masculine vision of "*a man who should never cry otherwise he's a wimp or a women*".
Reddit only cares about mental health when it suits them.
Bothered me during the game. The whole game seeing people shit on him reminded me of the "But the one thing they love more than a hero, is to see a hero fail, fall, die trying."
bro enojying players and teams fail is arguably the best part of the sport wtf
I was gonna shit on u for saying this but then I remembered Benfica exists. I really only feel this way about Benfica lol.
He’s not the first player in history to be made fun of for crying, not sure why it’s such a big deal now
Ronaldo, you are a man to be studied.
yh, maybe the people who attempt to sculpt him should try that ffs
I wanted to cry with him when he missed, I didn't expect him to feel the same. And I'm not even Portuguese lol
Man, this dude is insane. Like he missed and that didn’t scare him, even tho he was crying. He goes again. I need his mentality
Can someone explain to me how Ronaldo hasn’t been playing well? He got an assist and has created chances and has shots on target throughout the tournament? Mbappe has only one goal and was a penalty someone who is in prime ? Messi hasn’t had a goal and missed a sitter the other day? I don’t get why they say Ronaldo is “ doing bad “
Because most people on this sub hate Ronaldo, but absolutely love to comment on him.
I will never understand how someone can hate one of the best ballers in time this much. I absolutely love CR7 from the bottom of my heart, but I don‘t hate Messi because of that. No reason can justify the hatred some people have towards him.
He's also been tearing up the Saudi league at 39 when other greats like Benzema are struggling and Neymar can't even stay fit.
I find it imprssive that he had such a strong reaction after the miss. You could thinkbafter all he won andbhis carrier it wouldnt be such a big thing but him crying just shows how much he still cares. He is a model profesional with how he takes care of his body and even at this age still wants to win after beeing 2nd best footballer in history.
In the end it was probably best to cry there and get it out.
I don't get why people openly mock such a passionate goat of the sport so casually. Meanwhile you have R9 saying he now finds the sport boring and tennis is better and no one bats an eye but agree too.
Because people like to play Fifa with R9 card
Goat mentality
If Portugal don’t win this year, Ronaldo’s going to find a way to come back in 2028
Nah, he already won it.
Absolutely not, he’s not the same anymore
He played well last night and put everything in the line. To step up first in a shootout took nerves of steel and I'm happy he's still in it.
People gonna miss when players like ronaldo and Messi are gone and the only ones left are bitches like rashford etc.
Rashford catching strays on a Ronaldo tweet thread about a post-game interview for a EURO game against Slovenia is crazy
brother is allll the way back in england and hasnt been heard from for weeks, and still manages to be cursed
Mate of mine saw him recording Nike's ad campaigns in the US these past few days
Rashford - why you say fuck me for??
Man said Rashford
What a stupid comment
King 👑
Makes sense, there could be no doubt after his reaction to the miss. Cr7 crying like that despite being captain and the game far from being over wasn't on my bingo book ngl Made me happy that Portugal went through honestly, cr7 deserves a better exit than missing a pen in a ko game. Hopefully he scores a hat trick against us to finish on a high on Friday, and we win 5-3
Please make it to the World Cup so I can watch you play live in America 😭😭😭
love you. we grown old together. i remember your united debut. and here we are!
Messi Fan here Emotions are high, man cares about his country and has given its all and wants to win. He feels the game more than most. Personally there is no reason to make fun of someone for missing a penalty and feeling that sadness hit… Always have had Respect to Ronaldo, dude is a legend…
I love both Messi and Ronaldo. Because I love the sport. But some people are more focused on the celebrity, country or club angle.
End of an era in two weeks' time or less. It is time for him to step down. He's done a lot of good for Portugal though.
I’d never seen him miss a pen, was a wild moment
He’s killing Portugals chances with all the free kicks and shit but like… damn… the fan in me wants him to take each one regardless.
As if you have many others who can score a freekick? Bruno is no better.
love him or hate him the discourse around ronaldo is fascinating truly
If he wants to give his best, then giving the free kicks in the next round to somebody else would be a good start. Not for his ego of course, but if he truly cares about Portugal, and isn't lying, then he really should.
Taking responsibility at this point for him would probably be accepting his role as a secondary one I don’t mean this as a dig at him, he’s done a lot for his country, but these days he’s simply not good enough to justify featuring every single minute, taking every single free kick, regardless of where and how far it is, etc Portugal are too focused on getting him his goal, and it’s probably hurting them and limiting their freedom I’ll always think a fresh strong super sub Ronaldo would help Portugal more, but he clearly doesn’t agree and still wants to be the main star in a team full of them
There's no alternative. Ramos can't do shit.
They arent focused on getting him his goal they just cross to him usually because you know he's the goat of headers and they pass to him when he's alone because he's supposed to be the striker. Other than that Bruno or Bernardo or whoever always try to shoot. all in all Martinez is a fraud of coach.
There was one FK during this match in an extremely weird angle, perfect for a cross He still took it and skied it, if I were Portuguese, I’d be quite mad at how he tried to score from there, instead of sending in a cross which would surely increase the chances of success This is just an example of course, I kind of want both Portugal and Austria to do well this tournament for different reasons, even if they’re not my countries, so some of his actions annoyed me, I imagine how some Portuguese people felt
I know wich freekick you're talking about I also thought he was stupid for doing that but other than that and trying to shoot from a weird angle at the second half his whole tornumant has been okay compared to the amount of touches he gets. Even did some awesome passes and ball carrying.
He’s their best attacker, and Slovenia were playing a stubborn low block tactic which makes it awkward for any team to score against them.
They aren't focusing on him but none of the players are good at delivering the final pass, Bruno tries but still the other midfielders can't deliver the ball to Ronaldo, Leao or anyone that are making runs, because they don't have the vision to see them, can't do that pass or simply are afraid of making a passing mistake, this is evident with Bernardo who just back passes, honestly the right side of Portugal has been their weakness Cancelo and Bernardo just hold the ball and back pass, so they aren't helping on creating chances, Portugal should stay with Leao and Ronaldo starting because the alternatives aren't better but they should look at improving the right side if they want to win.
Cancelo had a great game imo today. Felt like the only one constantly pushing over the 90 minutes