Former Liverpool goalkeeper believes Ronaldo will hurt Portugal at the World Cup-unlike Messi | Goal.com
The former Liverpool goalkeeper has criticised Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo, arguing that his participation would be detrimental to his national team at the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo is widely expected to appear in his swan-song World Cup in 2026, when the tournament travels to the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Portugal drawn in Group 11 alongside the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan and Colombia.
However, former Liverpool and Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes the Portuguese star’s participation could harm his national team, unlike that of Argentina’s Lionel Messi, captain of Inter Miami.
Speaking to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Friedel stated, “All players will have to retire at some point; that’s just how it goes, and that’s the case with Ronaldo.”
He added that while Ronaldo remains in good physical shape, his style of play has evolved to a point where it might eventually hinder the team’s overall performance.
Read also: Video: João Neves shocks Ronaldo: ‘He’s not the best in Portugal or the Saudi league!’
However, he also acknowledged, “At the same time, he’s not the kind of player you can leave on the bench; if you drop Ronaldo, that will be the only story everyone talks about during the tournament.”
He added, “I’m grateful I don’t have to make that decision, because it’s clear both Messi and Ronaldo are on the decline.”
He added that Messi, who continues to feature regularly for Inter Miami, can still score and assist, and therefore remains capable of helping Argentina simply because he is Messi. By contrast, Ronaldo, especially when the team needs to defend, offers little.
He added: “If you’re the manager, can you really face the world’s best teams and defend with only 10 men? That’s a tough ask.”
He concluded: “The good thing about Messi is that he’s never had to defend; teams have always been built so that he can move freely on the pitch. That’s how it’s always been.”
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