Cristiano Ronaldo has been given advice after Portugal's World Cup opener. Former France and Manchester United star-turned-billionaire Louis Saha has argued that the 41-year-old must accept being dropped at times to give Portugal a stronger chance of success. Ronaldo was a shadow of his former self in their World Cup 2026 opener against DR Congo on Wednesday, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.
Ronaldo's struggles continue
Ronaldo failed to find the net for the 10th successive match in major tournaments, prompting criticism from Thierry Henry. The former France forward suggested the Portugal legend prioritised personal goal-scoring over team success. Henry was supported by compatriot Saha in questioning Ronaldo's level of involvement on the pitch.
Saha's advice
Saha, 47, has amassed £4.3 billion since hanging up his boots through his sports firm AxisStars, which he co-founded with marketing expert Kate Hamer. 'Cristiano Ronaldo needs to be saved from himself, because Cristiano is always going to be in competition with Haaland, Mbappe, and Messi,' the 20-cap France international told Casinolyze. 'He wants to play every minute to break records, that's his mentality and we understand that. But I think he also understands that Portugal needs a high tempo.'
'They want to press and have the energy level at the very top, that will involve making changes. Sometimes he has provided a solution for that. His fitness seems to be high, he has worked really hard for those moments and I trust him to react the right way. But he will find that during some games, it will feel hard for him. Obviously, momentum of games is key.'
'Even a younger version like Kylian Mbappe found that the first half was really poor and he wasn't good physically. He was making wrong choices, but in the second half the talent was there. That's basically what Cristiano can do. The focus on him is hard for the manager. Sometimes he will have to answer unnecessary questions and sometimes you will have to bench Cristiano to allow him to go all the way in this competition.'
Background on Saha
Saha and Ronaldo shared a dressing room for four years at Old Trafford before the Frenchman left in 2008 to join Everton. He subsequently turned out for Tottenham, Sunderland and Lazio before hanging up his boots in 2013. The former striker's move into business alongside Hamer keeps him connected to sporting circles. As outlined on the agency's website: 'Since hanging up his boots, Louis has moved into the world of business where he has used his experience to develop propositions to support athletes and other people in the public eye, in their careers.'
