Fabio Cannavaro on Cristiano Ronaldo: "He should play for a few more years"

Uzbekistan national team head coach Fabio Cannavaro shared his thoughts after the match against Portugal in the World Cup. The Italian specialist highly praised the performance of the opposing team captain Cristiano Ronaldo and urged the legendary forward not to retire. In this match, Portugal won 5-0, dealing a serious blow to Uzbekistan's hopes for the next stage. This is reported by Goal.com news reports.

In an interview with O Jogo, Cannavaro admitted that his players were under great pressure from the start of the game. Two goals conceded in the opening minutes disrupted the plans of the Uzbekistan national team. Although there were attempts to stabilize the situation during the game and even one goal was disallowed, Portugal's high level of skill told.

Ronaldo is a "smart" predator inside the penalty area

Cannavaro noted that he had warned his players to be careful of Ronaldo before the match. "I told my players that if we gave Cristiano Ronaldo even a centimeter of space, it would be over. That is exactly what happened, and he scored two goals. The Portuguese players play specifically for him, and at his current age, he acts very smartly inside the penalty area," the coach added.

According to Goal.com, Cristiano Ronaldo achieved a historic milestone thanks to the goals scored in this match. He became the first male footballer to score in six different World Cups. Additionally, he increased his tournament goal tally to 10, surpassing the record of Portugal's all-time leading scorer Eusebio. These achievements served as a fitting response to the criticism Ronaldo has faced in recent weeks.

After the match, Fabio Cannavaro revealed that he spoke with the 41-year-old star on the pitch. The former Italian defender did not hide his amazement at Ronaldo's physical condition. "He has entered football history, he will remain forever, but despite that, he continues to play with such passion. I told him he should play for a few more years and enjoy football," says Cannavaro.

Following the match, Cristiano Ronaldo posted "We are here" on his Instagram page, reminding the world that he is still at a high level. For the Uzbekistan national team, this defeat complicated the group situation, but playing against world-class stars is undoubtedly a great experience for the team.