'Ronaldo's dirty laundry' poisons Portugal's World Cup

Ben Jacobs

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
• 4 min read

Portugal’s ambitions of winning their first World Cup have been derailed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Ronaldo shocked the world of football in a scathing interview with Morgan, during which the Portuguese veteran launched a sensational attack on various key figures at Man Utd, including manager Erik ten Hag and owners, The Glazers.

The interview means that Ronaldo will almost certainly never play again for Man Utd, and will find himself a new club before or during the January transfer window.

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But, in the meantime, Portugal kick off their World Cup campaign in Qatar next week.

And CBS’ Ben Jacobs, writing exclusively for FootballTransfers, argues that Ronaldo’s interview will be a distraction for Portugal at the World Cup.

Ronaldo distracts Portugal

“Cristiano Ronaldo is not really away from Man Utd at the World Cup [after what he did]. Quite the opposite. He would have been if he had just rounded off the season and gone off to the World Cup,” Jacobs says.

“But the first question that will be asked at the first press conference will be a Manchester United question. The last question he is asked at the World Cup will be about his future. If Portugal go out early, he will probably be shunned from any Man Utd training camps until the situations is resolved.

“Ronaldo is now entering a World Cup with a cloud over him. He may have thought it was a tactical interview, he may have wanted something out there before the World Cup.

“But he now has to enter into a World Cup squad. And Bruno Fernandes, who is a good friend of his, will have something to say. Other players I would imagine, will talk about him behind his back and collectively have a unified approach on how to handle it the next time they see him.

“And everyone connected with the Portugal national team will only be asked about Ronaldo and that interview.

“Which means he is bringing Man Utd’s dirty laundry to the World Cup and that is the issue here. And I’m not sure he has fully considered that and if he has it has backfired taking that decision. There is now an extra distraction that Portugal don’t need.”