CELEBRITY
More troubles for fading star: Ronaldo is sidelined then eclipsed by stand-in Ramos
Portugal manager Fernando Santos said Ronaldo’s place in the remainder of the World Cup still had to be ‘defined’.
The world of football punditry was ablaze with speculation and opinion after Portugal’s superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo – wearing a substitute’s bib – sat out most of the Portugal vs Switzerland World Cup game that saw the Portuguese side stride into the quarter-finals with a 6-1 win.
Adding fuel to the fire on Tuesday, Portugal’s manager Fernando Santos said Ronaldo’s role for the remainder of the World Cup tournament is still to be “defined”.
When asked directly if Ronaldo would play against Morocco in the quarter-final showdown on December 10, Santos replied bullishly: “Ronaldo will definitely (be involved), all the players on the bench can be used, if they are not in the starting lineup, they can play later.
“It is important to look at the example of this player’s history, he is one of the best players in the world at playing professionally, being captain – all we have to do is think about this team collectively,” he said.
But, earlier, Ronaldo cut a solitary figure as he walked off the field following the match against the Swiss in which he was far from the centre of attention.
Chants of “Ronaldo! Ronaldo!” had swept around the 89,000-seat Lusail Stadium – the biggest stadium at the World Cup – and then loud jeers when the fans realised their idol wasn’t starting for the team.
Ronaldo had come off the bench very late in a game that moved Portugal into the quarter-finals and saw his 21-year-old replacement, Goncalo Ramos, score a hat-trick in his first full debut for Portugal’s national team. It was also the first hat trick of the World Cup tournament.
Ronaldo, 37, congratulated Ramos at midfield at the end of the match, then walked towards the Portugal section of fans and briefly clapped in their direction. But, as the rest of his squad had their moment of fan appreciation, Ronaldo left his teammates behind and walked off alone through the tunnel – perhaps wondering where his career goes from here.
He is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United midway through the World Cup, and he does not appear to be assured a place in the forthcoming quarter-final.
Ronaldo breezed through the post-match interview area with a huge grin on his face, only responding to one question: Was he happy?
“Of course, of course,” the superstar grinned. “Portugal won.”
But it’s not all smiles inside the Portugal camp.
As a writer for an Indian sports magazine asked: “Can one man’s absence make a team better? The answer might not be the one that Cristiano Ronaldo fans want to hear.”
‘Those issues have been solved’
Portugal’s manager Santos had expressed frustration with Ronaldo the day before he was benched for the Switzerland game.
Santos said the decision was tactical and not disciplinary, but he had acknowledged on Monday that he was bothered by Ronaldo’s poor attitude after he pulled him late in a 2-1 loss to South Korea in the final of the group games.
“I think those issues have been solved. I said that in my last press conference and I repeat myself: This is something which is finished, solved,” Santos said.
“I have a very close relationship [with Ronaldo]. I have known him since he was 19 years old in Sporting,” he said.
“I think Ronaldo and I never misinterpret the human and personal aspect with that of manager and player, and what we need to do during the match,” he added.
“That is what we will do. I will always consider he is a very important player to have in the team.”
Dropping Ronaldo from the lineup on Tuesday, Santos started Ramos, a little-known forward who made his international debut just three weeks ago.
But what a start it was: Ramos scored on just his fourth touch of the game in the 17th minute to give Portugal a 1-0 lead. He then added goals in the 51st and again in the 67th minute.
“Not even in my wildest dreams did I think about being part of the starting team for the knockout stage,” Ramos said through a translator after being named player of the match.
Those three goals instantly made Ramos one of international football’s hottest prospects though many may not have even known his name before Tuesday.
Standing in for Ronaldo has changed everything.
“Most people in the world had never heard about him until today,” Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes said of Ramos after the match.
Fernandes was also the only member of the Portugal squad to indicate that Ronaldo was displeased at being benched. He also seemed prepared for the controversy surrounding Ronaldo and stood firm in defending him as a Portugal team representative tried multiple times to pull him away from reporters.
“We won the first two games with Cristiano in the first 11, and it could be that if Cristiano played, he could score three goals and no one would be speaking about Cristiano being on the bench,” Fernandes said.
“I don’t think people should be talking about Cristiano and why he’s not playing, because when Cristiano plays and the team wins, no one talks about that,” he said.
“When Cristiano plays and the team loses, everyone talks.”
Fernandes called Ronaldo “the most famous player in the world. No one is more famous than Cristiano in sports, not in football, in sports.”
When asked about Ramos’s reaction to getting the start, he defensively turned the question towards Ronaldo.
“Do you think anyone likes to be on the bench?” Fernando said. “I don’t think Cristiano would be happy. If the manager put me on the bench in the next game, I would be angry.”
Asked if Ronaldo spoke to him before the game, Ramos said the issue of being benched did not come up among the players.
“Honestly, in our team, no one talked about it. Cristiano as our captain, as he always did, he helped us, he gave encouragement to us, not only to myself but our team-mates.”
Now with the crucial quarter-final match against Morocco on Saturday, Santos may have to decide whether to stick with Ramos or restore Ronaldo – the top scorer in men’s international football and one of the game’s greatest-ever football players.
Santos’s choice will be watched closely for more signs of one star rising and another fading.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES
The legacy of Brazilian football legend Pelé has taken a new turn after Neymar Santos Sr, father of Brazil star Neymar Jr, confirmed the acquisition of the commercial rights to Pelé’s name and image through his agency, NR Sports.
Speaking at the Pelé Museum in Santos, Brazil, Neymar Sr said the deal marks a new chapter for one of the most iconic brands in global sport.
“We are proud. I think it’s a very strong brand. We want to strengthen its identity and adapt it to the current era,” he said, describing the project as deeply emotional and nationally significant.
Although financial details were not officially disclosed, Brazilian media estimate the acquisition at around $18 million. The rights had previously belonged to US-based company Sport 10, which many in Brazil accused of underdeveloping a national treasure.
A ‘Repatriation’ of Pelé’s Legacy
NR Sports described the agreement as a “repatriation” of Pelé’s brand—bringing back to Brazil “one of the greatest symbols in the history of world sport.”
Pelé’s daughter, Flavia, attended the announcement and welcomed the move, saying the family had tried—and failed—to reacquire the rights after Pelé’s death in 2022.
“There are no words to describe the emotion of bringing back a brand that embodies soul, humanity, and love. It’s priceless,” she told AFP.
The unveiling was accompanied by an emotional tribute at the Pelé Museum, which erected a massive green screen with Pelé’s iconic logo. A video shared on Pelé’s and NR Sports’ official accounts celebrated the “universal language” of Brazilian football, showing some of the King’s most memorable goals from his World Cup triumphs in 1958, 1962, and 1970.
Neymar Jr: ‘Pelé Was Born to Change Everything’
Neymar Jr, who recently returned to Pelé’s former club Santos and has surpassed the King as Brazil’s all-time top scorer, featured in a promotional video congratulating his father’s company.
“Some are born to play, others are born to change the game. Pelé was born to change everything,” the 33-year-old forward said. “Pelé never stopped being one of us, and now he is officially part of Brazil, again and forever.”
A New Era for an Underused Global Brand
For years, Pelé’s image rights were more prominently exploited abroad than at home—a situation that drew criticism from the family and Brazilian football circles. The new deal is expected to revitalise the Pelé brand through modern marketing, partnerships, and heritage initiatives anchored in Brazil.
“This is the beginning of a motivating project for us. We are very moved,” Neymar Sr added.
Pelé, who died in December 2022 at age 82, remains an enduring symbol in Santos, São Paulo state, where he played from 1956 to 1974 and where thousands still visit his mausoleum.
With the rights now back in Brazilian hands, NR Sports says the goal is clear: preserve, expand, and enrich the legacy of the King of Football for generations to come.
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Lionel Messi expressed his wish to one day return to Barcelona’s Camp Nou on Monday, having made a brief visit to see the newly revamped stadium where he spent 21 years of his illustrious career.
The 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner, who joined Barca’s youth academy at age 13 and went on to become the club’s all-time top scorer with 672 goals in 778 appearances, left the Catalan side in 2021 when they could not make it financially viable to keep him.
Having won 10 LaLiga titles, four Champions League crowns and three Club World Cups with Barca, Messi now plays for Inter Miami after two years with Paris St Germain.
Barca reopened the Camp Nou on Friday, 895 days after its closure, unveiling a revamped stadium by staging an open training session attended by 21,795 fans.
“Last night, I returned to a place that I miss with all my heart. A place where I was immensely happy, where you made me feel a thousand times like the happiest person in the world,” the eight-times Ballon d’Or winner wrote on Instagram on Monday.
“I hope that one day I can return, and not just to say goodbye as a player, as I never got to do.”
Messi extended his contract with Inter Miami in October, and has previously said that the Major League Soccer club would likely be his last.
“You’re always welcome at your home, Leo,” Barca posted on X.
-Reuters
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Argentina has paid a powerful tribute to its greatest football icon, Diego Armando Maradona, by unveiling a special commemorative silver coin celebrating both the late legend’s 65th birthday and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The coin, released on October 30 — the date that would have marked Maradona’s 65th birthday — honours his unforgettable solo goal against England in the 1986 World Cup, often described as “the goal of the century.”
The Central Bank of Argentina announced that the limited-edition coin features a football motif on one side, while the reverse captures Maradona’s legendary dribble from his own half, past five English defenders, before coolly slotting the ball home in Mexico City.
That match, etched in global memory, also produced another of football’s most talked-about moments — the “Hand of God” goal, scored just minutes earlier. Together, those two goals defined not only a game but an era, as Maradona led Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986, their second in history.
“This coin immortalizes a symbol of Argentine pride — a goal that transcended sport to become a moment of national identity,” said the Central Bank in a statement.
The release is also timed to build excitement ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada — marking 40 years since Maradona’s most celebrated tournament.
Maradona, who passed away in 2020, remains one of football’s most revered figures. His blend of artistry, audacity, and passion continues to inspire generations of players and fans alike.
Across Argentina, tributes poured in from fans, clubs, and former teammates, with many visiting murals, statues, and shrines dedicated to the No.10. In Buenos Aires, street musicians played “Live is Life” — the anthem that once accompanied Maradona’s famous pre-match warm-up routine at Napoli — as a reminder of his enduring magic.
For Argentina, this special-edition coin is more than a collector’s item; it is a national homage to an eternal legend, a man whose left foot and spirit still define the heartbeat of Argentine football.
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