Agbonlahor Urges Portugal to Drop Cristiano Ronaldo, Says Superstar Is “Past His Best”

Former Gabriel Agbonlahor has called on Portugal manager Roberto Martínez to consider leaving captain Cristiano Ronaldo out of the starting lineup ahead of their next FIFA World Cup match against Uzbekistan.

Agbonlahor, who previously captained Aston Villa FC, argued that Ronaldo is no longer at the peak of his powers and questioned his ability to influence games in the same way he did during his prime years.

The comments come after Ronaldo faced criticism for his performance in Portugal’s recent match against DR Congo, with some observers questioning whether the veteran forward should continue leading the attack.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Agbonlahor said Portugal have enough attacking options to consider changes.

“I don’t think he should start. I look at Portugal, I look at the players that they’ve got, I look at other strikers that maybe they could have played in front of Ronaldo,” he said.

He added that if Ronaldo is selected and struggles during matches, Martinez should not hesitate to replace him.

“But when it isn’t going well, take him off. That is the only problem I have with it. If you are going to start him and it’s not working, 55-60 minutes off,” Agbonlahor said.

The former striker also criticised Ronaldo’s current style of play, saying: “It’s not working. He’s not holding the ball up. He’s coming too deep and trying to play a number 10.”

“CR7, for whatever people think, he’s past his best. End of story.”

Ronaldo remains one of the greatest players in football history, with countless records and trophies to his name, but his role in Portugal’s squad has become a major talking point as he enters the later stages of his career.

The debate now facing Martinez is whether Ronaldo’s experience, leadership and goalscoring ability outweigh the tactical demands of a modern attacking system. With Portugal chasing World Cup success, every decision involving their captain will continue to attract intense attention.