Ronaldo deserved a better Portugal farewell, says Tunisia great Trabelsi

Hatem Trabelsi says Cristiano Ronaldo should have been given a more fitting end to his Portugal career, while criticising the circumstances surrounding the forward’s departure from the national-team camp.

Ronaldo left the Portugal camp unexpectedly on Wednesday in protest at what he regarded as limited involvement under manager Jorge Jesus.

Speaking on beIN SPORTS, former Tunisia international Trabelsi said Ronaldo’s achievements meant his career could not be questioned, despite his recent difficulties with the national team.

“There is a clear difference in the way stars are treated between the Latin mentality and the European mentality,” Trabelsi said. “European clubs always put the interests of the group ahead of the individual interests of players.”

He cited Barcelona’s decision to part company with Lionel Messi and Real Madrid’s sale of Ronaldo to Juventus as examples of clubs prioritising their wider interests when necessary.

Trabelsi acknowledged that Ronaldo had declined physically and technically in recent times and was no longer the player he had been at his peak.

“He is not the same as before in terms of his ability to press and maintain a high tempo,” he said.

However, Trabelsi argued that Ronaldo’s departure from Portugal should have been handled differently and expressed disappointment that the situation had not been resolved amicably.

“I believe the end of Ronaldo’s career with Portugal should have been better and in a way that reflected his historic value,” he said.

Trabelsi also criticised Ronaldo for leaving the camp without first coordinating with those in charge or reaching a friendly agreement that could have avoided negative interpretations of the incident.

He concluded by saying that there was some sensitivity between Ronaldo and certain Portugal team-mates as a result of previous comments.

The remarks were shared by beIN SPORTS on 4 October 2026.