Former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley has downplayed the significance of Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals in Portugal’s World Cup qualifier against Armenia on Saturday, insisting it changes nothing about his previous stance.
Burley, who has consistently argued that head coach Roberto Martinez should phase Ronaldo out of the national squad, reiterated his position despite the 40-year-old forward’s impressive showing.
The Al Nassr star scored twice as Portugal cruised to a 5-0 victory over Armenia at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium. His club teammate, Joao Felix, along with Joao Cancelo, also found the back of the net in the Group F encounter.
Speaking during an episode of ESPN FC, Burley was reminded of his earlier remarks advocating for Ronaldo’s exclusion from international duty. He acknowledged Ronaldo’s consistent goal-scoring ability but questioned his impact when it truly matters — in major competitions like the Euros and the World Cup.
He argued that tournaments such as the Nations League, which Portugal recently won with Ronaldo involved, don’t carry the same weight and are “not really a big deal.”
According to Burley, Ronaldo netting multiple goals against lower-ranked teams like Armenia and Liechtenstein doesn’t prove he can still deliver against top-tier opposition.
“The question remains when he’s been at the top level against the bigger teams in the European Championships, in the World Cups he’s either been anonymous or he’s been dragged off,” he said.
Ronaldo, who has now scored 140 goals in 222 appearances for Portugal, is just 60 goals shy of reaching the rare milestone of 1,000 career goals.
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