Chris Sutton: Portugal Underperformed Because of Ronaldo

Former Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers, and England striker Chris Sutton has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo's presence in the starting eleven was a key factor in Portugal's disappointing campaign at the 2026 World Cup. "Portugal played well below their potential, and I firmly believe Ronaldo is the reason. In the last World Cup, Gonçalo Ramos came in for the Round of 16 and scored a hat-trick — but only because the manager finally had the guts to bench Cristiano," Sutton said. The English pundit argued that at 41, the captain can no longer carry the team at the highest level, and that Portugal need fresh legs and ideas in attack.