That's a really bad take man. I'll assume you're too young to know, but United have always had a big following around the world and specifically europe. Our explosion on the global scene was mainly due to our success in the 90s which coincided with the premier league being more accessible around the world. A lot of people can get credit for this but Ronaldo isn't one of them, and if we have to credit someone with our global popularity it'd be easily SAF.
The comprehensive Ronaldo thread
- Thread starter Red the Bear
- Start date
Pre Ronaldo Portugal qualified for 3 world cups out of 16. Post Ronaldo they have qualified for 5 out of 5. The fact that most young people in the world even consider Portugal a footballing country and football powerhouse is because of Ronaldo. People are too young to even realise that Portugal were never a big footballing nation, they managed to finish 3rd in 1966 thanks to Eusebio but were largely irrelevant in footballing history, ok, he didn't carry them to a world cup win but winning their first international trophy and having them consistently in knockout stages of major competitions is a stark contrast to what they were before, so yes, he did carry Portugal. He's scored 118 goals for them for goodness sake....
I agree that he didn't necessarily carry them as a 'Maradona' did in a tournament but he definitely had a major part in all aspects of their accomplishments. When Figo retired, post 2006. He definitely 'carried' them until 2014, again he didn't win major honours during that time but he was the main reason they were in the knockouts of competitions during that period. Portugal had a golden generation from 94-2004 and even then they managed to qualify to one world cup (2002) and got knocked out in the group stages. They were better in Euro 2000 and Euro 2004 (Which is when Ronaldo became a key player for them) but fell short. Post Figo, Ronaldo was definitely their most important and best player, it shouldn't even be a debate.
Of course imo, this current Portugal team is probably overall the best Portugal team in history, certainly in terms of depth and talent.
A man that now, retired, is paid more for a year of some sportswashing events, than Ronaldo is offered for two years of playing.
This is right up there with the worst I've ever seen on this forum, and that's saying something.
Unless you are trolling of course, in which case, 6/10.
Also, non-joke football fans don't support 2 clubs
The idea Ronaldo made Utd famous worldwide might be the stupidest thing I've ever seen posted on here.
Carried us where and when?
There's no need to hyperbolize him having been our best player for a very long time. He didn't carry us nowhere, he's not the carrying type of player. That's a stupid statement.
People do seem to think being a team's best player is the same as carrying them and it's not true.
He carried Portugal to the World Cup through play-offs in 2014. That was one of the worst Portuguese sides I’ve seen in the last 20 years. They certainly wouldn’t have qualified for the competition without that virtuoso performance from him against Sweden over 2 legs.
He carried them to the semi-finals of euro 2012 with some remarkable games against The Netherlands (one of the best individual euro performances to date) and Czech Republic en route.
And to a lesser extent, he was instrumental to Portugal reaching the final in 2016. They don’t make it out of the groups without his goals and he basically won the match in the semi finals with a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win. He directly contributed to 67% of Portugal’s total goals en route to winning euro 16 despite not playing in the final.
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I’m sorry but this is just utter nonsense and I’d bet based on that I’m older than you. Did you ever hear of players like Figo or Rui Costa? The fact they’ve produced even more talent since Ronaldo is incidental and absolutely nothing to do with Ronaldo personally. So it’s just a really strange take all round.
The only time Ronaldo "carried" Portugal was in the World Cup 2014 playoffs, that was putting the team on his back, but then he didn't have a good World Cup when he got there. His best tournament was Euro 2012, better than Euro 2016. He definitely did no "carrying" of Portugal to Euro 2016.
Only might be???
United have been famous worldwide since the unfortunate events of Feb 1958, that grew in the 60's with the holy trinity of Charlton, Law and Best and the PL just added to it
Again he in no way carried them to the semi’s in 2012. And as much as he did propel the team through the play offs vs Sweden you’d have to question how they even ended up in the play offs with his excellency in the team in all his “carrying” glory.
Did he not carry them vs Sweden? If not for him we don’t even make the WC in 2014. 4 goals in 2 games and that monster game in sweden.
Or what about vs the Netherlands in Euro 2012? Or vs Hungary in 2016 (the reason we even made it out the group stage). Or maybe in the counties qualifying games for both euros and WC?
The recent bias on here is crazy especially in attempting to down play his achievements. Ronaldo for YEARS carried Portugal. He played with absolute and utter garbage but we still never missed a major tournament with him.
Without Ronaldo their is a couple of WC and Euros that Portugal would have missed and that’s a fact. Back then whenever he did not play we looked lost and lack of ideas.
Back then the notion in all of Portugal was Ronaldo Mais dez (Ronaldo +10).
Portugal have finally learned to win without him and to not need him which was great for the growth of us as a footballing nation. However trying to say that Ronaldo did not carry the absolute garbage that was the Portuguese national team for years is just sad. We don’t have a Euro without Ronaldo….Yes we won the final without him (beyond lucky win in fairness) but he had a part to play in every single elimination game directly being involved with every goal scored.
You guys don’t like him and it’s fine but you if all people as a Portuguese not to recognize the impact Ronaldo had for Portugal is disappointing. By lightyears the most influential player we have ever had and our biggest figure in our history long after our deaths.
I’ll be the first to say it’s evident, he’s fallen off, and his level has dropped dramatically. However he is 38 and even though we realize that he does not and he’s struggling to realize that.
The answer to that question is what we have echoed for years. He played with a absolutely trash national team. The level of those Portuguese teams was embarrassing. Look at the squad in 2014.
Also if any player added to the global modern popularity of Man United, it was definitely Beckham more than Ronaldo. Beckham was a different ball game to Ronaldo for worldwide marketing - at least compared to younger Ronaldo that was at United. Previously as you said, the Busby Babes era but George Best again would have that celebrity to make United known around the world.
You mean the games against Sweden. Yeah he was great, perfect finishes to perfect passes. That's not carrying the team. You might as well say Bruno Alves carried us throught the goup stage of that qualification. That's quite a low standard for the definition of carrying a team.
He's an extraordinary player. Him having had some extraordinary games is what is expected by definition.
Did you watch the semi final against Barca? Cause it was Paul Scholes that scored that goal that got us through. Ronaldo scored in the final but slipped and missed his penalty. If JT didnt slip we would of lost. And VDS made that save. Ronaldo was just 1 of many contributers to that CL final win.
Ronaldo didnt make Man Utd famous world wide. We all ready were famous world wide. Do you know who Sir Matt Busby is? Or how about Sir Bobby Charton? Or Dennis Law? Or George Best? Manchester United has a rich history hense why its one if not the biggest clubs in the world.
Talk about being delusional.
Cantona is regarded as a legend because the real United fans know he made the club what it became
Without his influence the class of 92 would never have been as good as it was, 1999 and 2008 would probably never have happened and certainly neither would the glut of PL titles that United won in the 90's and early 2000's
Without his influence the class of 92 would never have been as good as it was, 1999 and 2008 would probably never have happened and certainly neither would the glut of PL titles that United won in the 90's and early 2000's
You must have some different definition of carrying. Portugal doesn’t qualify for the World Cup in 2014 without game-altering/match winning intervention from Ronaldo. So the Bruno Alves comparison is strange.
In 2012, they probably don’t make it out of the group of death without his game-altering intervention against the Dutch after going one goal down. He was all over the pitch that game and should probably have finished the match with 4 goals and 2 assists. He delivered again in the quarters. He was levels above his teammates in those ties so how was that not carrying?
Oh FFS
He's a fecking football player.It's even debatable if Eusebio wasn't more influential, Ronaldo is yet to outscore him in World Cups and you can't rewrite history.
God bless Ronaldo for turning Utd from this tiny unknown provincial club to being famous Worldwide!
Let us all bow at the altar of Ronaldo and pray that his latest NFT sponsorship deal is a huge success.
Let us all bow at the altar of Ronaldo and pray that his latest NFT sponsorship deal is a huge success.
It must have been absolutely crushing for him. He has been in denial for months about his decline (which I think he contributed to by not having a pre-season at his age). The interview proved that he still saw himself as the star man and couldn’t believe that any team could possibly be better without him.
I think United wishing to terminate probably came as a shock to him. He probably thought there would be a fight. Other big teams not wanting him probably came as another shock. He imagined there would be interest…
‘Explain it away and focus on the world cup. A few good games and you are back…’
…only to have it absolutely come crashing down in a crushing, brutal 90 minutes. Team winning, keep smiling, but inside knowing you are watching the confirmation that every top team is now better without you in it.
You can’t complain, you can’t speak out anymore. The corner has been painted and you just have to watch on now. One more good 90 minutes from Ramos and your World Cup and 20 years of glory are finished.
I would feel sorry for him, but Piers Morgan…. He will live to deeply regret that interview. It’s a sleazy low point and one his biggest rival would have been too classy to go near.
I think United wishing to terminate probably came as a shock to him. He probably thought there would be a fight. Other big teams not wanting him probably came as another shock. He imagined there would be interest…
‘Explain it away and focus on the world cup. A few good games and you are back…’
…only to have it absolutely come crashing down in a crushing, brutal 90 minutes. Team winning, keep smiling, but inside knowing you are watching the confirmation that every top team is now better without you in it.
You can’t complain, you can’t speak out anymore. The corner has been painted and you just have to watch on now. One more good 90 minutes from Ramos and your World Cup and 20 years of glory are finished.
I would feel sorry for him, but Piers Morgan…. He will live to deeply regret that interview. It’s a sleazy low point and one his biggest rival would have been too classy to go near.
I’m talking about in football.Oh FFS
It's even debatable if Eusebio wasn't more influential, Ronaldo is yet to outscore him in World Cups and you can't rewrite history.
Eusebio with all due respect to him is nowhere near Ronaldo, especially not in what his impact was for Portugal in football. He carried our country for years and is miles beyond Eusébio.
It’s just a Manor of speaking, point being is trying to change narratives due to recent events is crazy.You're absolutely not the first to say that
You're amongst the last to say that.
The whole entire footballing world rightfully has him in the Mount Rushmore of the 4 greatest players ever (Ronaldo Messi Maradona and pele) those 4 are beyond anything ever seen in the sport and breaking that mold will be extremely hard.
"Daddy please let me play"
Ronaldo with fewer goals in 21 games than Eusebio has in 6... five different World Cup attempts too to break Eusebio's record and still hasn't managed it.Oh FFS
It's even debatable if Eusebio wasn't more influential, Ronaldo is yet to outscore him in World Cups and you can't rewrite history.
Some people are really hurting today Also, United became a thing at least in Asia due to Beckham, not Ronaldo.
Also, United became a thing at least in Asia due to Beckham, not Ronaldo.One hat trick aside he's usually shit in WCs
Football doesn't have him on any mount Rushmore. You've just made that up. It's highly debatable for tons whether it's a top 3 or top 2 even. There's a lot of differing views on this.
The ego will eat him up inside; if his behavior is already so embarrassing, I don't even want to imagine when he finally retires.
It will be more degrading than whatever is now passing through our imagination.
It will be more degrading than whatever is now passing through our imagination.
Nah that's not really true at all.
If you look at multiple online websites, forums, discord of football etc, in media he’s widely and only compared to those 4 guys.
In fact if you have Messi their then logically the guy who rivaled and Topped Messi for years is also their, that’s logical.
Now if you have #1 or #4 or somewhere inbetween that is understandably up for debate.
That he is in the Mount Rushmore if undeniable as nobody except a certain Messi and Pele or Ronaldo even come close to his dominance or what he has accomplished.
He missed 2 pens for Utd - vs Barca progressed thanks to Scholes wonder goal and in the Final vs Chelsea in the pen shootout which we should have lost if it wasn't for the slip. We could have easily lost the semifinal because of his miss.
As for the United famous worldwide part. How old are you??
Utd had already had a huge global fanbase - especially in Asia. There's a docu about Laporta when he first became the president of Barcelona in 2004 and he talks about trying to brand the club in Asia like Utd does because of the $$$$
Some of the shit you read here fro cr fanboys is just crazy
Really cause if you just type in the question online or ask the majority of fans they all have him undeniably in the top 4.
You can’t have Messi their and not Ronaldo that makes zero sense considering their career are forever intertwined in the never ending debate and he was bested by Ronaldo multiple times.
I'm starting to have some fascination for your tirelessness and ability to maintain education through constant disagreement. That said, I don't see value in debating Ronaldo with you.
You don't seem to pay attention to the words used. In fact, you don't seem to care about them, you just jump with scattergun arguments to his deffence in every post without even stopping to think.
The word at stake here is influential. Eusebio's role in history can't be stolen, because the though part of history is that it's gone and you can't change it. He came first, that alone makes him more influential for the national team. That single tournament he participated eclipsed any tournament performance from Ronaldo, that was carrying, another word you seem to misunderstand.
And as much as I'm not personally convinced Ronaldo eclipses Eusebio as a footballer, I think he will comfortably win that debate amongst most football fans. He could potentially be remembered as more influential, but influence as a matter of legacy and memory, not numbers. Ronaldo is a colossal idiot who disrespects everyone (I mean people outside of football too), and disloyal as a team player. These things tend to hamper your legacy and influence. Eusebio was loved by the people, Ronaldo thinks the Portuguese envy him.
Eusebio was the first football name I heard, and he had been a nobody for some 15 years before I was born. Let's see what people will be saying in 40 years before jumping to conclusions. I do not think you have the ability to distance yourself enough to imagine that. You probably think there will still be a Ronaldo vs Messi debate in 5 years. There won't.
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This thread is a goldmine for some absolute nonsense from the Ronaldo fanbois. Keep going. Great fun.
As time goes by, he is going to be remembered for being stupid jackass rather than being a great player.
Selfish to the core. Need Portugal to reach the final and win or lose with him benched. Will be great fun either way.
As time goes by, he is going to be remembered for being stupid jackass rather than being a great player.
Selfish to the core. Need Portugal to reach the final and win or lose with him benched. Will be great fun either way.
With all due respect, can you please not compare Ronaldo with Eric. He had everything in his personality that Ronaldo doesn't have, was beyond just a football player. The world legend doesn't do him justice and there is not a stat in this world that can explain how great he was. The shit he did was biblical.
Thanks.
You can. We had almost a decade of them being in the same league, with similar resources, and Messi has won the league far more times than CR7. Champion's league can be such a crap shoot, it's not necessarily always the best team that wins it, but the league, over 38 games, it's usually going to be the best team that wins it, and CR7 only managed 2 to Messi's 7, and their teams were not miles apart in quality. To me that's what really separates the two, that and Messi just being far more impactful on the overall game than CR7 with his creativity on top of his goalscoring, not that CR7 was a slouch in creativity, but he was far more of a finisher than a creator compared to Lionel. La Liga is where the debate ends IMO.
Perhaps you will understand easier this way.
I think Messi eclipses Maradona (and am probably wrong) and wouldn't dare argue he's more influential for Argentinian football.
I think Messi eclipses Maradona (and am probably wrong) and wouldn't dare argue he's more influential for Argentinian football.