Former Morocco coach Walid Regragui weighs in on Ronaldo-Portugal dispute

Former Morocco coach Walid Regragui has criticised Portugal’s handling of Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation, arguing that the national team never showed the forward the same level of commitment Argentina gave Lionel Messi.

Speaking on Canal Football Club on Sunday, Regragui acknowledged Ronaldo’s contribution to Portuguese football but said his status did not entitle him to unrestricted freedom within the national team.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has done Portugal a lot of good,” Regragui said. “That doesn’t give him the right to do everything, but I think this ending has been handled clumsily.”

The former Atlas Lions coach argued that Portugal should have discussed Ronaldo’s future with him directly, particularly given head coach Jorge Jesus’ previous relationship with the forward at Al Nassr.

Regragui compares Ronaldo’s treatment with Messi’s

Regragui drew a distinction between the support Ronaldo received from Portugal and the way Argentina’s players accommodated Messi.

“What I felt is that the Portuguese never had the same devotion to Ronaldo that the Argentinians have for Messi,” he said.

He suggested that Argentina’s players were more willing to make sacrifices to help Messi, including during their victorious World Cup campaign.

“Running for CR7, the Portuguese never wanted to do it. The Argentinians accepted it, even at the last World Cup,” Regragui said.

He also raised the possibility that Ronaldo’s pursuit of 1,000 career goals could be influencing his determination to continue playing for Portugal.

Ronaldo’s Portugal future remains uncertain

Ronaldo’s international future has come under scrutiny following a dispute with Jesus that led to the 41-year-old leaving the national-team camp.

The forward later accused the coach of breaking promises over his playing time and the public explanation of his role.

Portugal provisionally suspended Ronaldo this week as disciplinary proceedings continued. However, both Jesus and the Portuguese Football Federation have left open the possibility of his return.

Regragui recalls Morocco’s World Cup victory over Portugal

Regragui has direct experience of facing Portugal with Ronaldo in the squad. He was Morocco’s coach when the Atlas Lions defeated Portugal 1-0 in the 2022 World Cup quarter-final.

Ronaldo started that match on the bench as Morocco made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the men’s World Cup.

His comments add an African perspective to the debate surrounding Ronaldo’s relationship with Portugal, with the former Morocco coach drawing on his experience of competing against the European side on football’s biggest stage.