Dave Portnoy hits out at Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal’s Round of 32 decision on 41-year-old

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal have defeated Croatia in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The blockbuster matchup between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Luka Modric’s Croatia ended in a 2-1 win for CR7.

Ronaldo scored one of Portugal’s goals from a spot kick before being subbed off in the second half as coach Roberto Martinez brought on Goncalo Ramos.

At the time, the game was tied at 1-1, but Ramos fulfilled his super-sub role with a memorable 94th-minute goal.

Dave Portnoy reacts to Portugal subbing off Cristiano Ronaldo

Coming back to Ronaldo, the 41-year-old striker was subbed off from the game at the 81st minute as Martinez wanted to inject the team with fresh legs.

Upon seeing the decision, Dave Portnoy had a lot to say as he found a way to criticize the Portuguese legend.

“It’s tough for me to take Renaldo seriously when they sub him in the round of 32 with a tie game in the 80th minute,” Portnoy wrote on X. “Sorry, but I like my superstars to be in the game with the World Cup on the line.”

While Ronaldo is the biggest name in the current Portugal squad, he is no longer the undisputed best player in the team.

In fact, if Portugal hadn’t subbed him off, there’s a chance that Croatia would have reclaimed its lead and eliminated Ronaldo’s team from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.