Despite the legendary career of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, during which he achieved numerous individual and collective accomplishments, he has undoubtedly faced many difficult moments as well. It can be said that Ronaldo always pays the price of his heightened stardom wherever he goes, due to the ongoing attacks he suffers from the press and media. However, he has always managed to respond to criticisms on the pitch. Ronaldo's immense capabilities are a double-edged sword, as they allow him to lead the teams he has played for and the Portuguese national team to achievements, but they also position him as a "scapegoat" in times of setbacks, and this has been evident on several occasions.
There is no doubt that Ronaldo's second period at Manchester United has been the hardest of his career, almost pushing him to retirement due to the media assassinations he faced, before he responded to everyone throughout the past period.
### Assassinations Ended with a Scandal
In the summer of 2021, Ronaldo decided to return to Manchester United from Juventus, which has proven to be one of the worst moves in the Portuguese star's career. Despite becoming the team's top scorer in his first season, he significantly declined during his second and final season in 2022-2023. Several reasons contributed to this downturn, primarily the death of his newborn child, alongside the poor treatment by Dutch coach Erik ten Hag, who intentionally marginalized him by sidelining him from matches and bringing him on only in the final minutes.
Ten Hag's actions sparked Ronaldo's anger, leading to an incident in one match that resulted in him being punished by being kept away from training and matches before he returned to participate, albeit not as a starter. Shortly before his departure from Manchester United, Ronaldo made a famous statement reflecting the poor state he was experiencing, criticizing the media by saying, "These people only tell lies; I have 100 news stories, only 5 of which are true."
The media attacks against Ronaldo did not cease, as European press and media continued their relentless pressure and attacks, with some calling for his retirement and for him to write the final chapter of his career. However, Ronaldo dropped a bombshell just days before competing in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, appearing with journalist Piers Morgan to discuss his struggles with the English club. He exposed poor management practices at "the Red Devils," alongside criticizing the media and coach Ten Hag, which resulted in the termination of his contract and his departure from the club.
### World Cup Shock
While Ronaldo announced that he would enter the Qatar World Cup without pressure, the situation was not as he hoped, given the subpar performance he delivered during the group stage, managing only one goal from a penalty kick. During this time, "Madeira's Rocket" faced new criticisms, especially from Portuguese newspapers that demanded Fernando Santos, the coach of the "Brazil of Europe," to exclude him from matches, which he acceded to, shocking his star player.
Santos removed Ronaldo from the starting lineup against Switzerland in the World Cup Round of 16, and the situation worsened when Portugal won (6-1). However, Gonçalo Ramos, who started in place of "the Don," scored a hat trick. Santos eventually brought Ronaldo on in the 75th minute of the second half after fans called for his entry, but he made little impact and showed signs of sadness that continued into the second consecutive match against Morocco in the quarter-finals.
In another strong shock for everyone, the "old Portuguese" once again left Ronaldo out of the starting lineup in a heartbreaking moment, where he came on as a substitute as his national team exited the tournament with a (0-1) loss, leaving him in tears in a poignant scene before the world.
### Regaining Brilliance
Ronaldo left European football by joining Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, a move that received criticism from some but helped him regain his brilliance, scoring 54 goals, making him the leading scorer in the world with "the Yellow" and Portugal during 2023. He also became the top scorer in the Roshen Professional League with Al Nassr, netting 35 goals, a record unmatched in the history of the competition, breaking the previous record set by Moroccan Abdul Razak Hamdallah (34) during the 2018-2019 season.
He led Al Nassr to win the Arab Championship for the first time in history by defeating Al Hilal (2-1), scoring both of his team's goals in the final, securing the golden boot for the tournament with a total of 6 goals. Overall, Ronaldo is considered the player with the highest goal contributions in the 2023-2024 season, contributing to 63 goals (50 scored and 13 assisted) across various competitions.
### Removing Toxic Weapons
Ronaldo has certainly shown everyone that he still has plenty of energy with his impressive goal-scoring form at Al Nassr, which has helped him continue with Portugal. However, the toughest test awaiting Ronaldo is his return to the international stage in the first major tournament after the World Cup, represented by the 2024 UEFA European Championship. Ronaldo will lead Portugal in their first match against the Czech Republic tomorrow, kicking off his quest for redemption and disarming the toxic weapons of the media and criticism that nearly damaged his career. He will complete 574 days since leaving European football on November 22 last year during the match against the Czech Republic... Will he succeed in starting this journey?
