Portugal entered the World Cup as one of the favourites to end their long wait for another title, but their group-stage campaign has fallen short of expectations. Two draws against DR Congo and Colombia saw them finish second in the group, raising doubts over their credentials heading into the knockout rounds. Much of the spotlight has fallen on captain Cristiano Ronaldo. At 41, the veteran has started every match and played the full 90 minutes, but his influence has been limited. Apart from his two-goal performance against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo has struggled to make a significant impact as Portugal’s attack has lacked its usual sharpness. With tougher challenges ahead in the knockout stage, both Ronaldo and Portugal will be hoping to raise their level when it matters most.
John Barnes believes Portugal’s biggest challenge is not a lack of quality but balancing the influence of two of their most influential figures, Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes.
“I’m looking at those Portugal players and man for man, they’re incredible footballers. Bruno Fernandes can create problems for the opposition and he believes he’s the most important player, but so does Cristiano Ronaldo and that’s a problem that the manager will have to overcome,” Barnes told Betfred.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s long-time rival Lionel Messi has been in outstanding form, scoring six goals in just three matches to lead the race for the Golden Boot. Against that backdrop, Barnes questioned whether Portugal should continue building the team around Ronaldo, arguing that the veteran’s presence could become a difficult issue to manage if the team’s performances and results fail to improve.
“He needs to decide against the top teams whether he’s going to leave Cristiano Ronaldo out, but that could become an issue, especially the better that Lionel Messi does, that’ll play on Cristiano’s mind and he’ll demand more from his teammates and become more upset if things aren’t going his way. I think it’s an accident waiting to happen,” he added.
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“Don’t think players are quite happy with Ronaldo”
Barnes credited Messi’s leadership and understanding with his teammates as one of the biggest reasons behind Argentina’s impressive World Cup campaign. The former England winger contrasted the atmosphere within the Argentina camp with Portugal’s, suggesting the two captains have very different relationships with the players around them.
“No, I’m not surprised with what he’s doing because he’s got the quality and he manages his games very well. The players accept him and he accepts the players, so Messi doesn’t have to run around too much, but his teammates don’t mind that because they love him as he’s humble and he respects them, so they’re actually playing for Messi, but with Portugal, it’s a bit different. I don’t think the players are quite happy with Ronaldo because the way he reacts when he doesn’t get the ball upsets the players, whereas Messi doesn’t upset his teammates,” Barnes concluded.
