Cristiano Ronaldo merely the latest example of a great player who couldn't let go

Wilson argues Ronaldo's international retirement came too late, suggesting he held Portugal back for at least three tournaments and should have quit years earlier.

Jonathan Wilson's analysis examines Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement from international football, arguing that while his career was incredible, he lingered too long on the stage. Wilson points to the 2022 World Cup as a turning point: when Fernando Santos benched Ronaldo for the last-16 tie against Switzerland, Portugal suddenly showed fluidity they had lacked for years, with Gonçalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick. Yet Ronaldo remained, his celebrity status making the decision to drop him politically fraught—a Portuguese cabinet minister even publicly said he couldn't be benched due to revenue and brand value.

Wilson describes Ronaldo's final tournaments as painful to watch: weeping after missing a penalty at Euro 2024, then at this summer's World Cup still demanding the ball and occasionally blocking teammates like Rafael Leão. In one telling moment against Spain, Ronaldo was released on the break but, lacking pace, had to turn back and pass to his full-back, the opportunity wasted. Wilson argues this generation of Portuguese players—genuinely capable of challenging for major honours—could not continue burdened by such an albatross, and that an intervention was needed.