Portugal show Man Utd there’s life after Ronaldo as Bruno and Dalot sparkle

Robin Bairner

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

Portugal laid the blueprint for Manchester United in how to flourish without Cristiano Ronaldo as they flourished in a 4-0 friendly victory over Nigeria on Thursday – and Red Devils Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes were to the forefront of a flashy performance.

Ronaldo’s future at Man Utd is under doubt because of an interview he conducted with Piers Morgan for TalkTV without the authority of the club. It proved explosive, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner claiming that he felt “betrayed” by his employers. He went on to confess that he does not know if he will still be at Old Trafford come January.

MORE: Could Man Utd sack Cristiano Ronaldo over Piers Morgan interview?

Ronaldo misses Portugal friendly

His situation at club level is not mirrored by his problems on the international scene, but Ronaldo is no longer the darling of Portugal that he once was. Indeed, after the September internationals, there was a very real campaign in the media to see his playing time and importance for his country reduced.

Officially, he missed the Nigeria friendly because of stomach flu, which has forced him to remain in his hotel room and miss training with the national team in the build up to the World Cup.

It gave head coach Fernando Santos, who has been a massive Ronaldo supporter, the opportunity to test his team without their star attraction.

And Portugal looked blisteringly good, albeit against an opponent who failed to qualify for the World Cup.

The 2016 European champions look fluid in attack, with Dalot brilliantly setting up the opening goal for Fernandes inside 10 minutes. Before the break, the Manchester United man had doubled his side’s lead from the penalty spot.

In the closing stages of the match, in-form Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos came off the bench to add a third before his club-mate Joao Mario tapped home a wonderful fourth.

Unfortunately for Ronaldo, this increases the pressure on him ahead of the World Cup - Portugal have set a high standard without the 37-year-old.

In addition, it showed Manchester United that there is life after Cristiano, although after the striker has been made peripheral by Erik ten Hag, this will only have served to confirm their thinking.