Cristiano Ronaldo was included in a roster of the least impressive players from the initial stages of the World Cup, with four Qatari footballers also included.
Cristiano Ronaldo Named The Worst Player Of The Group Stage Alongside Four Qatari Footballers
Despite being 37 years of age, Ronaldo has featured in every game of Portugal’s successful group stage run; however, he failed to make much of a difference, only managing to notch one goal and seeming to be absent during extended stretches.
According to Sofascore, who evaluated the first stage of the World Cup, they revealed Ronaldo had not performed at his best, giving him an average of 6.37.
His poor form became even worse when he bent over at a corner, unintentionally causing the ball to bounce off him and into the grateful hands of Kim Young-Gwon, enabling him to score as South Korea beat Portugal 2-1.
While the result was immaterial in the sense that Portugal had already qualified and would remain top of the group irrespective of the result, it was still not a good look.
At the same time, Bruno Fernandes, who has been both a former and current teammate to Ronaldo in a national team, is the leader of the team in the group stage.
His average rating has been 8.60 and he has contributed two goals and two assists, making him a strong contender for the player of the tournament award.
This does create a little tension when we look at the manner in which Ronaldo ended his contract with Manchester United, as a result of his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, with Bruno having had to put that to one side and focus on Portugal with Ronaldo.
The fans on social media felt that this had been blown out of proportion. And in the process of doing so, they felt Ronaldo still had a lot to offer. One person wrote: “Gosh , stop. He is still the best player ever @Cristiano.”
So there you have it folks. What did you think about this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
