Why is Cristiano Ronaldo not playing : Coach Roberto Martinez excluded Portugal’s captain and leading scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, from the squad for the match against Sweden.
Portugal is set to face Sweden in a preparatory friendly match this Friday at the Estadio Dom Afonso Henriques in Guimaraes ahead of their European Championship 2024 journey starting in June.
Portugal finds itself in Group F, accompanied by the Czech Republic, Turkey, and either Georgia, Luxembourg, Greece, or Kazakhstan.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the team’s captain and leading scorer, has been excluded from the lineup for the upcoming match against Sweden, as announced by coach Roberto Martinez.
Ronaldo, alongside Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Otavio, Ruben Neves, Vitinha, and Joao Felix, will not be part of the team for this game.
The decision to omit Ronaldo comes from Martinez’s intention to allow the prolific forward some downtime following a demanding season with his club, Al Nassr, in the Saudi Pro League.
Nonetheless, Ronaldo’s return in Portugal’s subsequent friendly against Slovenia on March 27 is a possibility.
Ronaldo has been pivotal at Al Nassr, netting 30 goals and providing 11 assists in 30 matches this season. His latest contribution was securing a victory over Al-Ahli Saudi with a decisive penalty goal.
Al Nassr is trailing by 12 points behind the league frontrunner, Al-Hilal.
Ronaldo, vital in Portugal’s 2016 European Championship triumph, is expected to play a crucial role in the upcoming Euro 2024.
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Portugal is scheduled to launch its campaign against the Czech Republic on June 19 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.
With a record of 128 goals and 46 assists in 205 appearances for his national team, the 39-year-old forward is eager to extend his impressive international legacy.