"Ronaldo is now a hindrance rather than a help" - Journalist urges Roberto Martinez to drop Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal's Euro 2024 starting XI 

ESPN's Mark Ogden has called for Roberto Martinez to drop Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal's starting XI. The former reckons the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is no longer mobile enough to be a starter and that he should be used as an impact substitute for the remainder of Euro 2024.

Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled for form at Euro 2024, failing to get off the mark in both of Portugal's wins so far. Including the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Al-Nassr ace has now gone six tournament matches without scoring a goal, his longest-ever run, which will be a great cause of concern for fans.

Ogden has urged Martinez to drop Ronaldo or to pair him up front with Goncalo Ramos, claiming the 39-year-old is holding Portugal back by being a hindrance. He said (via ESPN):

"I saw Ronaldo at the weekend and I wrote a piece basically saying that Portugal are better without him and obviously I got the obvious stick that you get when you criticise Ronaldo, but the point I'm making is that he's 39 now, he's not as mobile as he used to be, he's now got six tournament games without a goal, that's his longest ever run."

He added:

"He does have an ability obviously but I think use him as an impact sub, so by playing him tomorrow he's kind of denying him, unless he's going to play with Goncalo Ramos as a partner, I'm not sure he is, but you've got to give Ramos minutes, you've got to get him in the team because obviously we saw in the World Cup that he can do the job."

Ogden continued, giving his thoughts on Portugal as well:

"Portugal for me have got all the attributes to go all the way, they're quite tough as well, I kind of underestimate how tough they can be Portugal, but Ronaldo is now a hindrance rather than a help, so Martinez needs to at some point think our best chance is to put Ronaldo on the bench, use him as an impact sub because he can score a goal in the last 10-20 minutes."

However, to his credit, Ogden did also praise Cristiano Ronaldo for his longevity:

"We all love Ronaldo, but he's not the player he was, he can't get around the pitch and it's amazing that he's still going you know, the same age as Wayne Rooney and Wayne Rooney's last international tournament was 2016 and he's now sitting on a sofa in a BBC studio, so we have to give respect to him."

Martinez has confirmed that Ronaldo will start for Portugal in their next fixture against Georgia.

Cristiano Ronaldo's experience will be a massive boost for A Selecao, having registered 130 goals and 47 assists in 209 appearances across all competitions for his nation. He also guided them to Euro 2016 glory, as well as the 2019 UEFA Nations League title.

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When will Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal be back in action at Euro 2024?

Despite facing a lot of criticism for his performances at Euro 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo will be seeking to inspire Portugal to their third win of the group stages against Georgia.

The two sides will face each other at the Veltins-Arena on Wednesday, June 26. Portugal are currently guaranteed a spot in the Round of 16 and are at the top of Group F with six points, while Georgia are at the bottom with just one point.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. have now qualified for the knockouts in all nine of their appearances at the Euros, extending their 100 percent record. In addition, they remain one of the favorites to win Euro 2024, having already accumulated more group stage wins this year (two) than across both Euro 2016 and Euro 2020 combined - where they won once, drew four, and lost one game.