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Former Ireland winger Stephen Hunt reckons Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo could be a liability for his team due to his lack of mobility. Ronaldo missed his team's rousing 9-1 win over Armenia on Sunday, which sealed their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification, due to a red card suspension.
The 40-year-old received the first send-off his international career in a 2-0 away loss to the Republic of Ireland last week for an elbow on Dara O'Shea. Ronaldo's suspension could extend to his team's next competitive match if his action is deemed to be violent conduct by the disciplinary committee, something Portugal are expected to appeal.
In Ronaldo's absence, hat-tricks by Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves confirmed the Selecao's place at next year's finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada in some style.
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"I don't think Ronaldo could really move on the pitch (against Ireland)," Hunt said on the Sports Breakfast Show (as per talkSPORT).
"I think he's really struggling to get around international football. And of course he's going to be in the Portuguese team [for the World Cup], but they went and won 9-1 last night without him. So that will cause a bit of friction too for sure."
Hunt added:
"He didn't really move too well in the game (against Ireland) watching him and how he was playing, but obviously he's very dangerous in the box."
In Portugal's aforementioned defeat to Ireland in Dublin, Troy Parrott scored twice in the first half before Ronaldo received his marching orders just before the hour mark.
How has Cristiano Ronaldo fared for Portugal at the FIFA World Cup?
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is the most prolific goalscorer in men's football history, with a record 143 strikes in 226 games across competitions, to go along with 46 assists.
However, the 40-year-old has a rather modest record at the FIFA World Cup, with eight strikes in 22 games across five different editions of the continental competition. His most prolific World Cup campaign came seven years ago at the 2018 edition in Russia, scoring four times in as many games, including a memorable hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain.
In his most recent World Cup appearance in Qatar in 2022, Ronaldo had a forgettable campaign, going scoreless in four games after scoring in a 3-2 win over Ghana in Portugal's campaign opener. The Euro 2016 champions went on to lose 1-0 to Morocco in the quarter-finals to bow out, with Ronaldo failing to make an impact off the bench.
