Ronaldo and Portugal… when passion becomes a burden

In football, there are stars who leave early and there are stars who refuse to leave until the last moment, and Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, belongs to the second category. He is a player who has built an exceptional career that has spanned more than two decades and achieved almost everything, but he still treats every match as if it is his last chance to prove himself again.

The problem is not ambition or passion, but how that passion is managed on the pitch.

From my point of view, Ronaldo became one of the reasons for the pressure on the Portugal team at the 2026 World Cup, not because he is a bad player or technically finished, as some try to portray, but because he still wants to play roles that he is no longer able to play with the same efficiency as he did ten years ago.