Portugal may have found a more interesting place FIFA World Cup Round of 16, but their victory in Croatia has also sparked controversy Cristiano RonaldoA vulnerable spot in the starting XI after legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic handed the former striker the reins. Speaking as a Fox Sports pundit, Ibrahimovic questioned whether Roberto Martinez’s side would challenge for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as he continued to attack the 41-year-old. Ronaldo. “The Portuguese fans could have expected what was happening. You can’t expect to win anything in 2026 with 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo at the helm. Especially since Ramos is on the bench, after he came and scored,” Ibrahimovic said. The former AC Milan and Manchester United star said Ronaldo’s place in the team is driven more by his reputation than his current status. Ibrahimovic believes the Portuguese captain no longer has the pace or finishing that made him one of football’s most threatening players. “This is not ‘ordinary leadership.’ It’s the ego that’s holding this team together. Ronaldo has stopped catching and walking. Now he’s in a box… This time, his aura helps him more than his legs. To continue to activate him is insane,” he added. The criticism came despite Portugal’s impressive turnaround against Croatia to book a last-16 meeting with Spain. Croatia looked on course to win after Ivan Perisic opened the scoring, but Ronaldo brought Portugal level from the penalty spot. The goal was a milestone, marking his first goal in the FIFA World Cup during his six-match campaign. With extra time seemingly inevitable, Portugal found the winner in the 94th minute. Rafael Leão delivered a cross into the box and Gonçalo Ramos assisted the decisive header, giving Martinez’s side a 2-1 win. Croatia decided to force extra time to reach the goal when Josko Gvardiol fired the ball into the net from a corner kick. However, after a lengthy VAR review, officials ruled Igor Matanovic offside in the build-up, disallowing the goal and preserving Portugal’s lead. The result extended Portugal’s unbeaten record against Croatia in the competition and set up a blockbuster Round of 16 match against Spain on July 7 (12:30 AM local time). Despite Portugal’s progress, the game could not reduce the discussion about Ronaldo in the team. Ibrahimovic’s comments only fueled the debate, with the Sweden boss insisting that Portugal’s World Cup ambitions could be jeopardized if they continue to rely on their iconic captain to be the catalyst for the protests.
