The debate over Cristiano Ronaldo‘s role in the Portugal national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup is more alive than ever. With just a few months to go before the tournament kicks off, opinions are divided between those who believe that the team plays more fluently without the historic striker and those who believe that his presence is still decisive. In the midst of this discussion, Bruno Fernandes came out and left a forceful position: for him, Cristiano should be untouchable
In an interview with Portugal’s Canal 11, the Manchester United midfielder said that the UEFA Nations League champions are a stronger team with Ronaldo on the pitch, regardless of the fact that the striker is already over 40 years old. For Fernandes, the problem is not Cristiano, but how the rest of the team adapts to his presence.
“I know what people think: that we play better without Cristiano,” explained the midfielder. “That the players are freer and flow better. But if that happens, it’s partly our fault. We can’t be worried because Cristiano is on the pitch. He can give us a lot of things,” he added.
Cristiano’s value in the box
Fernandes stressed that, regardless of age, Ronaldo is still a top-class asset in the opposition box. “Cristiano is still a very high level player. He attracts defenders, fixes markers and creates space for others,” he said. In this sense, he explained that each player offers different characteristics and that the challenge is to know how to take advantage of them.
The midfielder compared the presence of CR7 with other attacking options in the squad. “If Cristiano doesn’t play and Gonçalo Ramos comes in, he brings high pressure and good diagonals. It all depends on what the team needs,” he said. Fernandes also used a personal example to reinforce his point: “When I don’t play and Bernardo Silva acts as number 10, the team has more possession. I bring more of the last pass. We all add up and we all fall short in something.”
Portugal, Colombia and a key clash on the horizon
Portugal will be in Group K of the 2026 World Cup alongside Colombia, Uzbekistan and the winner of the playoff between Jamaica, New Caledonia and the Republic of Congo. The match against Colombia is scheduled for June 27 and will be the final match of the group stage.
For Bruno Fernandes, the tournament represents one of Cristiano Ronaldo’s last great opportunities to end his career with a World Cup title. “We all have to adapt and enhance the qualities of each player for the benefit of the national team,” concluded the Portuguese captain, in one of the strongest defenses that has been heard recently in favor of CR7.
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