Saha urges Portugal to bench Ronaldo after toothless DR Congo draw

Louis Saha has called on Portugal to bench Cristiano Ronaldo when necessary, warning that the 41-year-old’s desire to play every minute risks undermining the team’s World Cup 2026 ambitions. The former Manchester United striker made the comments after Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo on Wednesday in their tournament opener.

Ronaldo’s blank against DR Congo extended his scoreless run in major tournaments to 10 consecutive games, drawing sharp criticism from pundits including Thierry Henry, who suggested the Portugal captain prioritises personal records over collective results. Saha, who shared a dressing room with Ronaldo at Old Trafford for four years before leaving for Everton in 2008, echoed those concerns.

“Cristiano Ronaldo needs to be saved from himself, because Cristiano is always going to be in competition with Haaland, Mbappé, and Messi,” Saha said. “He wants to play every minute to break records, that’s his mentality and we understand that. But I think he also understands that Portugal needs a high tempo. They want to press and have the energy level at the very top, that will involve making changes.”

Saha acknowledged Ronaldo’s physical dedication but argued the team’s momentum must take precedence. “His fitness seems to be high, he has worked really hard for those moments and I trust him to react the right way. But he will find that during some games, it will feel hard for him.”

Drawing a parallel with Kylian Mbappé’s own struggles at tournament level, Saha suggested Ronaldo could still deliver in bursts even if he is not always the starting focal point. “Even a younger version like Kylian Mbappé found that the first half was really poor and he wasn’t good physically. He was making wrong choices, but in the second half the talent was there. That’s basically what Cristiano can do.”

Saha was direct about the pressure the situation places on Portugal head coach Roberto Martínez. “The focus on him is hard for the manager. Sometimes he will have to answer unnecessary questions and sometimes you will have to bench Cristiano to allow him to go all the way in this competition.”

Since retiring from football in 2013 — having also represented Tottenham, Sunderland, and Lazio after leaving Everton — Saha has built a significant business career. He co-founded sports company AxisStars alongside marketing expert Kate Hamer, an enterprise reported to be valued at £4.3 billion.