Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Cristiano Ronaldo: "He's Holding Portugal Hostage"

One of football's most outspoken figures, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, delivered sharp criticism directed at Cristiano Ronaldo following Portugal's hard-fought victory over Croatia. According to the Swedish former striker, the 39-year-old star's presence in the squad is hindering the team's development, and this decision is driven more by nostalgia than sporting principles. This was reported by Goal.com reports .

According to Goal.com, Ibrahimovic appeared as an expert on Fox Sports, expressing doubts about the future of Roberto Martinez's team. Zlatan emphasized that Portugal will not succeed at the 2026 World Cup with a 41-year-old Ronaldo. In his view, the striker's current condition is doing more harm than good to the team's play.

"Not Legendary Leadership, Just Ego"

In his speech, Ibrahimovic stated that Ronaldo's movement on the pitch has become limited and that he simply waits for the ball inside the penalty area. "This is not legendary leadership. It's just personal ego holding the team hostage, nothing more. Ronaldo has lost his agility and technique. Right now, it's not his legs but his name and past reputation that are keeping him afloat," says Zlatan.

The former footballer also backed up his arguments with the example of Goncalo Ramos, who came off the bench to score the winning goal in Portugal's match against Croatia. According to Ibrahimovic, young and prolific forwards like Ramos being left on the bench while Ronaldo starts is "nostalgia-driven madness."

As a reminder, the clash between Portugal and Croatia was rich in dramatic events. Ivan Perisic opened the scoring, while Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot. In the end, it was Ramos who scored the winner. However, the match was not without refereeing controversy: a goal scored by Josko Gvardiol was disallowed for offside after a VAR review, which prompted serious objections from Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic.

Among football fans in Uzbekistan, there are also varying opinions regarding Ronaldo's future in the national team. Ibrahimovic's remarks are expected to spark extensive discussions on social media, as the Portugal captain remains one of the team's most key figures.