"He draws defenders and creates space for other players. If Cristiano doesn't play and [ Paris Saint-Germain's] Gonçalo [Ramos] does, Gonçalo is strong in pressing and good at diagonal runs. When I'm not playing and Bernardo [Silva] is playing as a number 10, Bernardo gives you more possession, I make more of a final pass. It's all like that. All players add things and take away others. Cristiano is the same as us."
"Ronaldo, 40, is the all-time men's international goalscorer with 143 goals in 226 appearances for Portugal since making his debut in 2003. His time with the national team looked to be in jeopardy when he was benched by Fernando Santos during the 2022 World Cup. However, his goalscoring form with Saudi Pro-League outfit Al Nassr has allowed Ronaldo to return to Portugal's starting XI under Santos' successor, Roberto Martinez."
Bruno Fernandes insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo continues to contribute significantly to the Portugal national team by drawing defenders, creating space and offering finishing presence inside the box. Fernandes contrasted Ronaldo's attributes with Gonçalo Ramos's pressing and diagonal runs and Bernardo Silva's possession play, noting that different players add and remove qualities and the team must adapt. Ronaldo is the all-time men's international top scorer with 143 goals in 226 appearances and returned to the starting XI after strong scoring form with Al Nassr. Fernandes rejected the view that Portugal definitively play better without Ronaldo and urged adaptation to enhance team strengths.
Read at ESPN.com
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