⚽ Football Transfers Speculation, Odds and Predictions

[MArsland]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

Regardless of how the process Ronaldo out of the Portuguese national team but this is the best for him and for the team. Let the younger generation take over and determine which way Portugal will go. Ronaldo has contributed a lot, the pros and cons are inevitable. So it's better to step back from now than to force yourself that actually Ronaldo himself is not able to give his best, enough for him as a motivator for the next generation.

[Ale88]

OFFICIAL: Portugal statement.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has left the national team camp. Our preparations for the next games continue with our 24 players with maximum focus on the results”.

Cristiano Ronaldo: “In time, I will tell all the Portuguese the truth about the reasons that motivated me to leave the national team, to which I always devoted myself”.


https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2105371297878339645

Coming to the media to spill this kind of reports is something that's not supposed to come from both sides. Cristiano Ronaldo has been the  most important player of the Portuguese national team in the last two and half decades and the greatest footballer in the nation's history, his retirement supposed to be celebrated and not filled with chaos.

I know there's a whole lot happening behind the scene and now, the adrenaline is pumping high, I think the best thing to do for both parties is to chill and try find way to resolve the issue so Ronaldo can get a well-organized last international game for Portugal.

Have you ever stop to wonder why that is? I don't want to seem like a hater (and I'm not); but CR7, although being a great player doesn't really have a great personality: He's selfish to some degree, somewhat egotistical and proud. He's not the first and only player to amas great achievements in football—though he's the richest footballer right now, other than Faiq Bolkiah whom his wealth are mostly hereditary—he should show some humility.

I love the guy as a player—he's arguably the best—but I don't love his personality, and I think that's the same way a whole lotta people feel too. That's probably why it seems like he's always being hated and less favored (note: these are just my observation, and I could be completely wrong).

You didn't say anything wrong. Ronaldo is an incredible player but during the last 7-8 years he's been playing for himself and for his own personal records. I'm a Juventus supporter, I had the honor to see him wearing the Juventus jersey for 3 seasons, and he was incredible but at the same time you could clearly see that he always felt above everybody else. Surely that mentality helped him reaching many incredible achievements but now it's a burden, Ronaldo himself turned into a burden for his own teams. He is 41 years old, he can't expect to be playing every match just because of his name, it's even disrespectful for his own teammates, why doesn't he understand it?

[LUCKMCFLY]

At Man United still with the same problem, players now have to be replaced with new and fresh ones. Carrick actually only needs to get support from the club's top brass but because Man United current finances are not so serious about overhauling the squad that Carrick position is awry. On the other hand he got demands from various parties, and that was very annoying. United's squad is now very monotonous, there is not much they can show to live this season perfectly.

The problem is that Carrick has to work with what he has, and working under limited capacity due to financial problems is always difficult in any field. He then has to do everything possible to do better than last season. The players seem a bit unmotivated because being on a team where the club doesn't guarantee new developments—even if it's just new players is demotivating.

That's why Carrick is the one looking bad. The team is there, there are good players, but they need a different strategy. Otherwise, they're losing the momentum they gained last season very easily.

[Judith87403]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

I don't know what Cristiano Ronaldo wants to achieve again when he has already achieved a lot in his football career. Perhaps, they said that winning the EURO is equivalent to winning the world cup so I don't really know what Ronaldo is fighting to achieve with Portugal again. He was even supposed to retire before Lionel Messi since he is older but instead Lionel Messi announced his retirement before him. I respect Cristiano Ronaldo for the player he is, but all these late career drama is really unnecessary. He should leave the team now before things get more ridiculous for him. The recent drama that just unfolded is not good for him honestly, he should resign now and chase his 1000th career goal with Al Nassr. I think that could be the reason why he still wants to continue with the national team so that he can score more goals and reach the milestone quicker.

[red4slash]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

It could be a good moment for Cristiano to end his professional career but looking at what he wants to achieve as a final treat for 1000 goals before retiring completely from football it looks like he will still continue to play at least until the end of the season.

Cristiano has scored 979 goals in all competitions and just 21 more for him to achieve his ambitions.
He is too old but his ambition is still very much felt so for this tournament in the Nations League and his season in the SPL it is likely that this will be the last season if the target is achieved but we do not know if until the end of the season 21 goals have not been realized because it could be that he will continue to be ambitious given the character that Cristiano has.

[Ale88]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

It could be a good moment for Cristiano to end his professional career but looking at what he wants to achieve as a final treat for 1000 goals before retiring completely from football it looks like he will still continue to play at least until the end of the season.

Cristiano has scored 979 goals in all competitions and just 21 more for him to achieve his ambitions.
He is too old but his ambition is still very much felt so for this tournament in the Nations League and his season in the SPL it is likely that this will be the last season if the target is achieved but we do not know if until the end of the season 21 goals have not been realized because it could be that he will continue to be ambitious given the character that Cristiano has.

I criticize Ronaldo for the way he is behaving with the Portuguese national team, because he should have retired from the international career after the World Cup, but retiring completely from football now it wouldn't make any sense: as you pointed out he is only 21 goals away from an achievement that is going to last for a long time, and anyway he would be the first in the history of football, so I'm sure he'll keep playing until he reaches the 1,000 goals.

[Alonso_]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

It’s not good for Ronaldo to be remembered as the player he is right now, just like you have said’ I agree with you it’s time he retires from International Football, he is old and his body is already failing him, he should retire and take a well deserved break from International Football just like what Messi is doing, Ronaldo isn’t helping the team anymore with his performance, it’s time he gives space to the younger once, just like he was also given the opportunity to thrive after Figo.

I think the problem with Ronaldo is that he doesn’t want to give up on winning the World Cup, he feels that he can still play in the next World Cup, I really don’t know how that is going to be possible, he should just call it a quit before he destroys his career with his antics whenever he is drop from playing games.

[Samlucky O]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

I thought of this during his second time at Manchester United but he's just too focused on his 1000 goal target. He should have retired a long time ago that he was still valued in football. Staying longer is the cause of all these disrespect, people don't want to know how old he is, they just want him to keep performing at top level but with his age he just can't meet up that's why he just needs to accept and leave so he doesn't tarnish his reputation even more.

He's done enough already, and in life knowing when to stop is what's best. We should be celebrating him and critized him. I do feel bad but sometimes I think he is the cause of all this. He can retire from international football and still pursue his 1000 goals target at Al Nassr.

I thought he was going to retire after the world cup exit, that was what I thought, I was surprised to still see that he was called up by the national team coach in this break. He played the first and second, was benched against Norway and was about been again before this news broke out. He should have announced his retirement immediately after the world cup or few days after, Ronaldo is old, he knows this but I wonder what he still feels he can give to the team. His tried his best, leave the stage and rest. This will be a great news for those who doesn't like him to continue ridiculing him, I don't blame them, he brought it to himself.

[xzone]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

It’s not good for Ronaldo to be remembered as the player he is right now, just like you have said’ I agree with you it’s time he retires from International Football, he is old and his body is already failing him, he should retire and take a well deserved break from International Football just like what Messi is doing, Ronaldo isn’t helping the team anymore with his performance, it’s time he gives space to the younger once, just like he was also given the opportunity to thrive after Figo.

I think the problem with Ronaldo is that he doesn’t want to give up on winning the World Cup, he feels that he can still play in the next World Cup, I really don’t know how that is going to be possible, he should just call it a quit before he destroys his career with his antics whenever he is drop from playing games.

It would be a miracle if he were still playing in the next World Cup. Yes, Ronaldo is a very tenacious star footballer, but after the age of 40, his physical athleticism suddenly starts to decline. I don't think he can do it anymore.
Even if he continues to play, he won't be able to perform at a high level, and I don't think he'll be the player who makes the team champions. Still, I respect him; nobody can continue playing like that at this age

[TastyChillySauce00]

Van Dijk will be leaving from Liverpool as free agent, and he aims to play in La Liga as his next destination. He's now linked to the several clubs such as Barcelona and Madrid. Those clubs are still lacking of proper CB, and i think it's good addition to have him in the squad.
But i prefer to see him goes to the Madrid because you know how prone Madrid's full backs at this moment. Signing him is also adding more depth to the Madrid's backline, and they can sign him for free, why not?

Madrid is conceding 8 goals from 7 matches, which is 1+ goal averagely in any game. So they have to put their defense as the main concern. I saw how good he is in aerial duel, and often saved Liverpool from unexpected moment in the past.
Signing him for free must become a lethal addition to the squad.  

Van Dijk before renewing the current contract he has with Liverpool was actually offered by his agency to Real Madrid so technically he has been offering himself for a long to Real Madrid and the Laliga giants have been rejecting that offer. Personally I do not think this is a signing Real Madrid should be making come of it  Van Dijk is simply riding on a past glory at the moment and is not exceptional like he used to be in his prime.

Real Madrid definitely have defensive problem and that is already causing them points this season already, but Van Dijk shouldn’t be their choice because they need solution and not a quick fix with old players. They currently have older players like Rudiger and Konate so if Van Dijk signs for them then we could see a partnership of Konate and Van Dijk again who we saw at Liverpool and conceded lots of goals? I don’t think any of them is the solution at the moment

The moment when his agent offered him to Madrid was more than a year ago. It's when Madrid had their backline still stay healthy. The current situation is going opposite with many of their veterans are injury prone. They can only play a few games, then getting injury again.
So it's time to change their mind to consider Van Dijk as a potential one to sign. You can't fully rely upon young defenders to win eveything.

Beside that they have signed several young defenders, but it's not working. Do you think they need to gamble by buying another non ready defenders like what they have signed before?
They won't end their trophyless trend if they still doing it. They need experienced defenders.

Importantly they can sign Van Dijk for free agent, and it's nothing to lose decision.

[Amphenomenon]

At Man United still with the same problem, players now have to be replaced with new and fresh ones. Carrick actually only needs to get support from the club's top brass but because Man United current finances are not so serious about overhauling the squad that Carrick position is awry. On the other hand he got demands from various parties, and that was very annoying. United's squad is now very monotonous, there is not much they can show to live this season perfectly.

The problem is that Carrick has to work with what he has, and working under limited capacity due to financial problems is always difficult in any field. He then has to do everything possible to do better than last season. The players seem a bit unmotivated because being on a team where the club doesn't guarantee new developments—even if it's just new players is demotivating.

That's why Carrick is the one looking bad. The team is there, there are good players, but they need a different strategy. Otherwise, they're losing the momentum they gained last season very easily.

Why do we think the reason Micheal Carrick couldn't sign other players was because of financial constraints?

To be honest,  I doubt that, giving much consideration to it make it even more unlikely in general. I wonder the last time there was a news about Manchester united having financial difficulties,  they finished in a good position that would have warrant them to earn more and sign more players but now Micheal Carrick decision seems to have back fire but the league is still early a lot can change just like last season.

[Jewan420]

It would be a miracle if he were still playing in the next World Cup. Yes, Ronaldo is a very tenacious star footballer, but after the age of 40, his physical athleticism suddenly starts to decline. I don't think he can do it anymore.
Even if he continues to play, he won't be able to perform at a high level, and I don't think he'll be the player who makes the team champions. Still, I respect him; nobody can continue playing like that at this age

It would certainly not be nice to see a player playing on the field with a stick. Ronaldo is now 41, he will be almost 46 at the next World Cup. At this age, it is not possible to play football with young people anyway.

I respect him and enjoy his game. But I want him to retire from the national team before he becomes a source of annoyance for the team and the fans. That way his respect will last a long time in the minds of the fans and his teammates. I agree with you that he may not be the player who will win the title for Portugal.

[Solodoski]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

When you talk about the greatest players, Ronaldo will definitely be in the conversation,  so that tells you how good he was as a footballer. I expected him to retire after tye world cup, but he did not. I really don't care about the reasons he has decided to retire from international football,  but I think it's the right time for him to retire.  He is definitely the greatest player in Portugal history and he should be retiring with his head high.

[Bigjoe33]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

Ronaldo is a player full of so much ambition, and I think the reason he did not retire from international football is because of his goal to reach 1000 goals before football retirement but I don't see how that has turned out well for him.

His football career is one that most players are looking up to, and the ending should be deserving. Though there are public announcements regarding his international retirement yet, but I hope he gets the respect he deserves at the end.

I would suggest he retires as soon as possible. He is loosing his reputation slowly. It's better to leave as a legend and keep the flag flying than be in the team and not play the game.

There are younger talents that would want to showcase there abilities in that position. You know that his influence on the pitch is one to reckon with. Some players would always choose to pass the ball to him in most cases even though he isn't in the right position for the ball. That is his influence. I believe some young Portuguese footballers would want him to say goodbye so that they can enjoy there time. If you ask me, he should wave goodbye already. It's time.

[Issa56]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

There is nothing left for Ronaldo again, he is already old, and he should have hanged his boot already. Everything is having limit, Ronaldo has gotten to the level which he should retire, there is nothing left which he wants to achieve, he is already a legend and we cant forget about him, so he should just hang his boot. All what I know is that if he continue playing football then he will end up doing some things which he shouldn’t do, and his respect is going to drop. I don’t know why Ronaldo don’t want to hang boot yet, it’s better he gives the younger players space also, his performance isn’t like when he was younger, and Portugal are still using him just because of the respect which they have for him.

[Cyber_warrior]

I think it’s probably a good time for Ronaldo to retire from international football now. Time waits for no man and he is in his forties now. Continuing to play just tarnishes his reputation, he’s obviously not the player he once was. Nobody would be in their forties.

We should celebrate his career, not think of him as the player he is now.

Regardless of how the process Ronaldo out of the Portuguese national team but this is the best for him and for the team. Let the younger generation take over and determine which way Portugal will go. Ronaldo has contributed a lot, the pros and cons are inevitable. So it's better to step back from now than to force yourself that actually Ronaldo himself is not able to give his best, enough for him as a motivator for the next generation.

It really sad to see things end up like this between Portugal and Ronaldo. I think both the player and the coach got it all wrong. Base on the statement released earlier, it was said that the head coach apologized to Ronaldo privately about benching him all through their last game and even promised to come out publicly to apologize, but instead it was a different thing said at the conference by the head coach.

 We can argue what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, he has bring the country so much attention and glory but still you can’t end your career days like this, especially for your country. I don’t think he will be going back to the national team. I think it over between Ronaldo and the Portugal national team.

[Majestic-milf]

 I don't really see any big deal about Ronaldo's retirement, whether real or not because every player at some point in their careers will hang the boot. So what if he tried to make everything about him? That's typical Ronaldo fashion: to attract the media and make noise till he finds something to make them talk. Portugal will finally play as they were supposed to now he's not around and at least we're seeing some confidence and individual brilliance from the players in their playing.
 Three wins from three games for Portugal and I must say that Jorges Jesus is a breath of fresh air for the country.

[Pablo-wood]

It really sad to see things end up like this between Portugal and Ronaldo. I think both the player and the coach got it all wrong. Base on the statement released earlier, it was said that the head coach apologized to Ronaldo privately about benching him all through their last game and even promised to come out publicly to apologize, but instead it was a different thing said at the conference by the head coach.

 We can argue what Ronaldo has done for Portugal, he has bring the country so much attention and glory but still you can’t end your career days like this, especially for your country. I don’t think he will be going back to the national team. I think it over between Ronaldo and the Portugal national team.

The head coach needs to learn human management, apologies doesn't solve all problems sometimes it ignite more fire. Benching Rolando against Denmark without valid reasons made CR7 leave Portugal camp. It wouldn't have cost Jorge Jesus anything to have him play in the second half at least 13' into the second half. We are just hope Jorge sorts  out and reconcile things ahead of their next game to avoid causing chaos amongst the team players which can result in poor performance.

[Jaycoinz]

I don't really see any big deal about Ronaldo's retirement, whether real or not because every player at some point in their careers will hang the boot. So what if he tried to make everything about him? That's typical Ronaldo fashion: to attract the media and make noise till he finds something to make them talk. Portugal will finally play as they were supposed to now he's not around and at least we're seeing some confidence and individual brilliance from the players in their playing.
 Three wins from three games for Portugal and I must say that Jorges Jesus is a breath of fresh air for the country.

You are making your statement sound as if Ronaldo has been the curse of their poor performance, at least that's what I perceive from the time of reading the statement you wrote. Portugal are a good team no doubt and I also understand the fact that age is something that everyone must deal with where we like it or not, because it's a simple fact but the way everything is being handled with Christiano now is just not the way it ought to be. What I just blame Ronaldo for, is that he failed to acknowledge the fact that it's no longer time to contribute to the national team and give himself full retirement.

[Sunshine1525]

I don't really see any big deal about Ronaldo's retirement, whether real or not because every player at some point in their careers will hang the boot. So what if he tried to make everything about him? That's typical Ronaldo fashion: to attract the media and make noise till he finds something to make them talk. Portugal will finally play as they were supposed to now he's not around and at least we're seeing some confidence and individual brilliance from the players in their playing.
 Three wins from three games for Portugal and I must say that Jorges Jesus is a breath of fresh air for the country.

You are making your statement sound as if Ronaldo has been the curse of their poor performance, at least that's what I perceive from the time of reading the statement you wrote. Portugal are a good team no doubt and I also understand the fact that age is something that everyone must deal with where we like it or not, because it's a simple fact but the way everything is being handled with Christiano now is just not the way it ought to be. What I just blame Ronaldo for, is that he failed to acknowledge the fact that it's no longer time to contribute to the national team and give himself full retirement.

He would've retired from the Portuguese national team after the world cup, if he had done that was happened recently wouldn’t had happened, Portugal can't rely on him at that age cause he's no longer as trustworthy as he used to be, i didn't expect that he'll retire that way without much honour but he caused it.

Now that Portugal is doing well after he left the team, people would definitely say he's the one dragging them backwards but I'll never be anong those that would criticize him cause i he's given his to to help the team be successful in the past and should be appreciated for that.