Numbers that sum up how Ronaldo made Portugal's history

Follow-up — Al-Wasat Iraqi newspaper

Between what is happening behind closed doors at Portugal's national team camp and what the history books record, the sporting public is following with keen interest the developments of the new crisis involving the legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

After he left the Portugal camp angry following his being benched in the match against Norway and his disagreement with coach Jorge Jesus, the comparison resurfaced regarding the historical value of the star who created the modern identity of Portuguese football.

The scene witnessed in the halls of Copenhagen Airport and the attempts by Portuguese Football Federation president Pedro Proença and coach Jesus to contain 'the Don's' anger and persuade him to reverse his decision to leave the national team camp is not merely a tactical dispute between a coach and a player over minutes, but touches on a sporting legend who changed the shape of football in his country from the margins to the winner's platforms.

Before Ronaldo's rise and his entry into the regular starting lineup of the 'Brazil of Europe' in 2003, Portuguese football was classified among the continent's mid-level teams, with achievements characterized by sporadic bursts without sustainability:

World Cup: The Portuguese national team had only qualified three times in its long history (1966, 1986, 2002).

European Championship: The team recorded only three appearances (1984, 1996, 2000).

Team titles: Zero, as the Portuguese federation's trophy cabinet was empty of any continental or world title.

With Ronaldo's arrival to represent the national jersey, Portugal's competitive equations were reversed, securing a permanent seat among the continent's and the world's elite:

World Cup continuity: The team qualified for six consecutive editions of the World Cup without interruption.

Continental dominance: Reaching the European Championship finals six times in a row, with direct advancement to the later stages.

Major titles: The Portuguese team lifted three official titles (the European Championship 'Euro 2016' and two editions of the Nations League).

Ronaldo's surge did not stop at the national team's collective achievement; it extended to compose the most complete individual record in the history of the game, crowning his career with:

Ballon d'Or: 5 times.

FIFA The Best: 3 times.

UEFA Best Player in Europe: 3 times.

European Golden Shoe: 4 times as the top scorer in European leagues.

UEFA Champions League: He won the title 5 times, sat atop the competition's all-time scorers list, and earned the top scorer title in seven different editions (a record).

Domestic scoring breadth: The only player to have finished as top scorer in four different domestic leagues (English, Spanish, Italian, and Saudi).

All-time leading scorer: Sitting atop the scorers charts for national teams and for world football overall.

The current crisis with Jesus raises complex questions for the sporting public and Portuguese media: Do the historic achievements and unprecedented numbers justify the captain's anger and his demand for a starting role? Or do considerations of age and generational change require a quiet exit befitting what he has given to Portuguese football?

Source: Agencies