Francisco Conceição said Portugal do not have to force the ball to Cristiano Ronaldo, putting a teammate’s view on a debate that sharpened after the 1–1 draw with DR Congo. He said the team should choose the better unmarked option in the moment, not default to one name.
"I think Cristiano, with his quality for scoring goals, I don’t think there’s anyone like him in that department" — Conceição said. "And we don’t have that obligation, that necessity to pass the ball to him."
Francisco Conceição and Ronaldo
His point was simple. "For example, speaking for myself, I pass the ball to whoever I think is better unmarked at that moment," he said, adding that players act on instinct and do not have time to weigh who is standing nearby.
"It’s not like I have time to think about who’s... what’s the face of the teammate next to me, no," he said. "I think we do everything by instinct, we do everything... it’s thousandths of a second, there’s no time for that."
Portugal after the 1–1 draw
The comments arrive after Ronaldo failed to score in 10 consecutive games at major tournaments with Portugal and after Thierry Henry gave a frustrated response to his performance against DR Congo. That combination has reopened the argument around how much Portugal should lean on Ronaldo in possession.
Conceição did not turn that into a criticism of his captain. He said, "And of course, Cristiano is here to help, just like any other player in the national team." He also described Ronaldo as an example because of his career and the hunger he shows every day.
Cristiano Ronaldo at 41 years old
Conceição called Ronaldo "41 years old" and said he is "super motivated to train as if it were his last training session." He added that the standard Ronaldo sets should push the rest of the squad higher, because the new generation has to chase even greater hunger to reach a fraction of what he has already done.
For now, the public message from inside Portugal is clear: the team should play the pass that is best at the moment, not the pass that simply finds Ronaldo. Whether Portugal changes that approach in the next game is the next test for a side still working through the same debate.
