Portugal may have secured a dramatic World Cup spot fifa world cup Round of 16, but their win over Croatia reignited controversy cristiano ronaldoHe was inserted into the starting XI after legendary striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic made a scathing assessment of the experienced striker. Speaking as a Fox Sports pundit, Ibrahimovic questions whether Roberto Martinez’s side can truly challenge for the 2026 FIFA World Cup while continuing to build an attack around the 41-year-old ronaldo. “Portuguese fans could have expected what was going to happen. In 2026 with a 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack, you can’t expect to win anything. Especially because Ramos was on the bench, came on and scored,” Ibrahimovic said. The former AC Milan and Manchester United star believes Ronaldo’s place in the team is determined more by his legendary status than his current performances. Ibrahimovic believes the Portugal captain no longer possesses the running or finishing ability that once made him one of the most feared forwards in football. “It’s not ‘legendary leadership’. It’s the ego that has held the team hostage. Ronaldo has lost his touch and mobility. Now he’s in the box… and the aura holding him up is bigger than his legs at this point. Continuing to start him is pure nostalgia-driven madness,” he added. Despite Portugal’s thrilling late comeback against Croatia and a meeting with Spain in the last 16, criticism remains. Croatia looked set for victory after Ivan Perisic opened the scoring, but Ronaldo equalized with Portugal from the penalty spot. The goal was an important personal milestone, marking his first goal in the knockout stages of a World Cup and a record sixth appearance at the tournament. Extra time seemed inevitable and Portugal scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner. Gonçalo Ramos headed home Rafael Leão’s cross and Martinez’s side won 2-1. Croatia thought they had entered extra time in stoppage time when Josko Gvardiol put the ball into the back of the net during a goal-mouth scramble. However, after a lengthy VAR review, officials ruled that Igor Matanovic was offside during the match, disallowing the goal and preserving Portugal’s lead. The result extended Portugal’s unbeaten record against Croatia in official matches and set up a sensational last-16 match against Spain on July 7 (12:30 a.m. local time). Despite Portugal’s progress, his performance did little to quell the discussion surrounding Ronaldo’s role in the team. Ibrahimovic’s comments have only fueled that conversation, with the Swedish great insisting that Portugal’s ambitions of lifting the World Cup could be compromised if they continue to rely on their iconic captain as the focal point of their attack.
