01/10/2026
Is it really disrespectful to call up Ronaldo and not play him?
I don't think so.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players football has ever produced. What he has done for Portugal cannot be erased. He has carried the national team through difficult moments, scored important goals, won trophies and created a legacy that may never be repeated.
But there is one principle that must remain above every individual player:
The team comes first.
Ronaldo is a great player, but when he puts on the Portugal shirt, he is a player in the squad just like everyone else.
Being selected does not automatically mean you must start. Being called up does not guarantee 90 minutes. And being a legend does not give anyone an entitlement to play whenever they want.
The coach has the responsibility to decide who plays, how long they play and what he believes gives Portugal the best chance of achieving the team's objective.
Imagine a dressing room where every big-name player believes the coach must play them because of their reputation. You no longer have a team; you have individuals competing for personal interests.
Football is a team sport.
Ronaldo's personal desire to play is understandable. His frustration may also be understandable. But Portugal's objectives must come before Ronaldo's personal ambitions just as they must come before the ambitions of every other player.
If Ronaldo plays and scores, wonderful.
If he starts on the bench and Portugal wins, that's also wonderful.
If he plays 20 minutes and the team gets the result, that's the objective.
At some point, every great player has to accept that legacy earns respect, but it doesn't guarantee selection.
Ronaldo deserves enormous respect for what he has given Portugal.
But respect for Ronaldo should not become disrespect for the other players in the squad or undermine the authority of the coach.
Nobody should be bigger than the team. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo.
That's not disrespect.
That's football.
