Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal career ends in Messi’s shadow, says The Sun writer

Martin Lipton of The Sun believes Cristiano Ronaldo finished second to Lionel Messi even in the way their international careers came to an end.

Ronaldo followed Messi into international retirement two months after the Argentina captain confirmed he would no longer wear the team’s blue-and-white shirt.

However, while Messi departed with a collection of medals and major honours, Ronaldo’s Portugal career ended with a considerably less decorated cabinet. Messi broke his long wait for international success by winning the Copa America in 2021, before leading Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and retaining the continental title afterwards.

“No sensible person would deny Ronaldo’s status,” Lipton wrote. “He is, without doubt, one of the greatest players of all time. He is a force of nature and an exceptional genius, and what he achieved with his clubs, as well as his personality, will never be forgotten.

“But when wearing the Portugal shirt, things did not go as they should have, and it is both sad and predictable to see everything end in a dispute with Portugal’s new manager, Jorge Jesus.”

Ronaldo started the Euro 2016 final, which Portugal won against France, but lasted only 25 minutes before a knee injury forced him off. He was also part of the Portugal teams that won the Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

At the World Cup, though, success remained out of reach. Across six tournaments and 27 matches, his total of 11 goals brought him no closer to the achievement he wanted, aside from his first appearance in 2006, when Portugal lost their semi-final to France.

A bitter farewell

Instead of a celebrated send-off in the United States, Ronaldo’s 23-year international career ended amid bitterness. His record for Portugal stands at 234 appearances and 146 goals.

Messi’s decision to end a two-decade association with Argentina came amid fanfare and flowers, while Ronaldo’s departure followed a major dispute.

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni was reportedly reduced to tears at the thought of saying goodbye to his team’s iconic player. Ronaldo, by contrast, ended his Portugal career with what Lipton described as a deliberate final slight towards Jorge Jesus.

The incident came less than a week after Ronaldo completed a 30-day suspension imposed for leaving the Portugal camp during the previous international break. In his farewell message, the forward did not mention his manager.

That message was published only a day before Jorge Jesus announced his final squad, potentially without Ronaldo.

“No Portuguese player, not even the great Eusebio, has dominated the national conversation in this way,” Lipton added. “Perhaps nobody ever will. But you have to believe Ronaldo will eventually regret trying to ignore the only opponent no player can defeat: time.

“Whatever tributes are presented to him, whether this month or in March, they will be stained by the way things ended.”