ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC ripped into Cristiano Ronaldo for holding Portugal “hostage”.
Ronaldo might have helped fire his nation into the last-16, but Zlatan warned blind faith in the icon will cost Portugal World Cup glory.
Zlatan insisted Portugal have “zero chance” unless Portugal boss Roberto Martinez drops Ronaldo ahead of a blockbuster showdown with top dogs Spain on Monday.
The straight-talking ex-striker told Fox Sports: “Portugal fans could have expected what’s happening.
“You can’t expect to win anything in 2026 with a 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack. Especially since Ramos is on the bench, having come on and scored.”
The AC Milan great claimed Portugal should be looking beyond Ronaldo and pointed to Goncalo Ramos as evidence they have a ready-made alternative.
“This isn’t legendary leadership. It’s the ego that’s holding the team hostage.
“Ronaldo has lost his touch and mobility. Now he’s just in the box… At this point, his aura is supporting him more than his legs.
“Continuing to start him is pure nostalgia-driven madness.”
But Ronaldo isn’t going quietly.
The Manchester United legend’s penalty, his first World Cup knockout goal in six tournaments, helped steer Portugal through a dramatic 2-1 thriller against Croatia.
But Croatia, who went ahead through Ivan Perisic, looked on course to take the tie to extra time before supersub Ramos struck.
Assuming the top spot in attack after Ronaldo’s 81st-minute substitution, Ramos scored a header over two defenders to give Portugal the lead four minutes into stoppage time.
The 25-year-old Milan striker shone in Ronaldo’s absence and it wasn’t the first time.
He memorably netted a hat trick in his first World Cup start, a 6-1 win over Switzerland in 2022, and he has scored a stellar nine goals in 701 minutes in Fifa and Uefa competitions
Ronaldo was dropped for his nation’s last round-of-16 clash in Qatar for pulling a strop at being subbed in the previous game.
Four years on, the Real Madrid icon was far from pleased at being dragged off in Toronto on Thursday.
Ronaldo, who completed 12 passes in the final third in total, was on tenterhooks on the sidelines when late drama unfolded at the other end.
Josko Gvardiol thought he had rescued Croatia, only for a lengthy VAR review to rule the goal out after Igor Matanovic was judged to have been offside in the build-up.
Martinez said: “Ramos’ entry with Cristiano in the area could have been very disruptive, but it was the right moment.
“We have different players. There’s no one else in the World Cup who can take a penalty like Ronaldo did, and no one else who can get into the box like Goncalo.”
Ronaldo wasn’t the only casualty—United talisman Bruno Fernandes was hooked as part of a quadruple sub in rare scenes when Croatia were ahead.
Fernandes has been called out in Portuguese media for underwhelming on the greatest stage and Ronaldo’s sister Katia has also taken aim on social media.
The United captain, 31, has failed to gel behind Ronaldo, with one football‘s greatest ever players often dropping deep and crowding his No10 space.
Fernandes’ star-studded midfield partners and Paris Saint-Germain duo Vitinha and Joao Neves have also failed to find rhythm.
On paper, Martinez should have the most formidable midfield unit in the Americas.
Fernandes was the Prem’s best player last season, and Neves and Vitinha are teammates for a PSG side that retained the Champions League title in May.
Portugal have circulated the ball in the middle of the pitch without any purpose, dominating possession but failing to create chances.
With a frightening match-up in Euro champs Spain up next, Portugal need to start clicking fast.
Martinez said: “We know Spain very well, and they know us very well.
“It’s going to be a fantastic match. Two teams that want the ball, that want to attack, recover possession quickly and create chances. It will be a great game.”
For Ronaldo, though, it could be his Last Dance on the world stage.
Portugal would have avoided a premature clash with the tournament favourites had they beaten Colombia to the top of Group K.
Instead, Colombia enjoy the smoother path, facing Switzerland in the round of 16 with a potential quarter-final against either Argentina or Egypt on the horizon.
Ultimately, Portugal’s drab, goalless draws against Colombia and DR Congo did more than just ruin their seeding—they robbed football fans of a sensational Ronaldo-Lionel Messi quarter-final showdown.
