KUALA LUMPUR: Portuguese media have called for Cristiano Ronaldo to be dropped ahead of the Euro 2024 quarterfinal match against France on Saturday.
The 39-year-old captain was heavily criticised after the round of 16 match against Slovenia on Tuesday, where he missed several goal-scoring chances, including an extra-time penalty, after which he was seen crying.
Doubts have emerged about whether the Al-Nassr star, who made his Euros debut in 2004 in his homeland, can continue scoring goals and help Portugal clinch the title.
Despite Ronaldo's tears, there was little compassion, as he was handed a low rating of 4 out of 10 by Portuguese media.
"Another poor performance by the captain. Just like in previous matches, he (Ronaldo) is spending too much time on the field. His decision-making and finishing are not as clinical as before. What will happen if he is benched? Could Portugal revitalise? We may never know," the media quoted.
Without a goal to his name at this year's competition, the all-time leading men's international goal-scorer with 130 strikes has at times appeared desperate.
Besides Ronaldo, Portugal's forward line includes Liverpool's Diogo Jota, Paris Saint-Germain's Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix (Atlético Madrid), Rafael Leao (AC Milan), Francisco Conceicao (Porto), and Pedro Neto (Wolves).
In the 2016 edition, Ronaldo was part of the team that beat host France 1-0 in extra time at Stade de France, Paris, to claim its maiden title. However, he was injured midway through the final and was brought to tears. Teammate Eder took a long shot in the 109th minute to score the only goal, much to Ronaldo's delight.