At 41 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo captained the Portugal side in their first UEFA Nations League match against Wales. Following a lacklustre World Cup performance, Ronaldo again failed to impress his fans and critics.

Despite a tough contest, Joao Felix was able to score the winner and guide Portugal toward victory. Following a match with very few touches and successful chances created, Ronaldo was finally subbed off in the second half by manager Jorge Jesus.

In the 68th minute, after Ronaldo was taken off, he became a victim of severe trolling on the internet. Fans started targeting his poor match performance as well as a very near miss he had against Wales.

“He does that everyday,” wrote one fan. While another person commented, “There are signs that he should retire, I am sure Ramos could have scored that goal with ease.” “He's getting old,” wrote another person. Several such similar comments followed in, with another person commenting, “He better hang-up is boot before it too late..stop proving point that's not necessary.”

🚨 RONALDO HUGE MISS 😱

Cristiano Ronaldo somehow misses from point-blank range for Portugal against Wales 😭 pic.twitter.com/kKYM6O0J3V

— Football on Predict (@FConPredict) September 24, 2026

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While Messi is set to play his retirement game in a few days, Ronaldo, at 41, is still captaining his side in the UEFA Nations League. Despite his run at this age, Ronaldo is way past his peak, and this was evident from his performance against Wales as well in the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo believes he can still help his national team

Just moments before his game against Wales, Ronaldo opened up about his intentions to represent Portugal. Ronaldo believes he can still help his national team and support his team. “I still believe that I'm able to help the national team to reach what they want,” said Ronaldo. “I think I can give the national team my support, not only through the goals, but also outside of football. This is a new generation, a young generation. But for me, the basic point and the most important point is to be able to score goals inside the pitch and help the team to win games.”