Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘Longevity is what defines it’ – How long will the Portugal star last?

It was telling that when his former Manchester United team-mate John O’Shea, now assistant coach of the Republic of Ireland, was asked on Monday how to stop Ronaldo at the Aviva Stadium, he spoke of the need to clear crosses and defend the penalty area.

“He doesn’t run much, he’s more of an attacker when strikers who only play in the box are almost extinct at the moment,” Pereira said.

“He’s the type of player who doesn’t fit into the patterns you see especially in the top teams today. He won’t play for Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich, he won’t be able to.”

“Some of these [younger] “Players who are used to playing for teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Barcelona or Real Madrid have become accustomed to another rhythm, another way of communicating with their strikers that can feel somewhat limited because they can’t do the same things they do at their clubs.”

For some, Portugal’s elimination from Euro 2024 on penalties at the hands of France, which came with Goncalo Ramos and the late Diogo Jota on the bench, was a natural end point, but there have been 13 international goals since then.

Ramos’ case to replace his legendary captain in the national team was not helped by his minutes at Paris Saint-Germain.

When it comes to whether the current iteration of Ronaldo is a help or a hindrance, Pereira concludes that “there are two sides to every story” – but there is no doubt about who the central figure is.

With a sixth World Cup looming on the horizon, it remains unclear how long this final chapter will last.