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Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes has launched a scathing critique of his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, declaring that the 41-year-old Portugal captain has become a "problem" for his national team and that at his age, the only position on the pitch where a player should be starting is in goal. Scholes made the remarks on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast on Thursday, June 18, 2026, following Portugal's disappointing 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in their Group K opener at the FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo, who matched Lionel Messi's record by appearing in his sixth World Cup, endured a forgettable evening at the NRG Stadium in Houston. He managed just 25 touches, attempted three shots without hitting the target, and won only a single duel throughout the 90 minutes, according to match statistics reported by multiple outlets. His performance extended his goal drought in major tournaments to 10 consecutive matches, spanning World Cup and European Championship appearances over 801 minutes of play.
Speaking on the podcast, Scholes, who shared a dressing room with Ronaldo for six years at Old Trafford, did not hold back. "I think it's difficult for the manager. I did a Stick to Football with Roberto Martinez, and I asked him off-camera, I said, 'Is he a problem for you?', because I feel he is a little bit of a problem," Scholes said. "At 41 years of age… I think there's only one position on the pitch at 41 years of age where you should be starting a game, and that's goalkeeper, for me."
Scholes elaborated on the tactical limitations of fielding an ageing striker in a tournament known for its intensity and pace. "Now look, he is going to score goals and he's in a team that have a lot of possession, but once there's a game where it has to be transition… and there will be games like that. His movement at 41 years of age…" the former England international stated. He argued that Portugal's inability to play a high-intensity, transitional game with Ronaldo leading the line is a significant concern. "The trouble with Portugal is they haven't really got an outstanding centre-forward anyway, have they? You've got to have somebody who runs. For me, he has to be a player for the last 15 minutes. For a 40 or 41-year-old to be playing centre-forward, I just don't get it."
Scholes compared Ronaldo's situation to that of Luka Modric, who at 40 years of age played in central midfield for Croatia the previous night. "You might get away with it at centre-half, you might do in a team that keeps the ball and you probably get away with it as a goalkeeper, but as a centre-forward at 41… it's not right," he said, adding that the decision to keep Ronaldo on the pitch for the full match was a tactical error.
Portugal had taken an early lead through Joao Neves in the sixth minute, but a Yoane Wissa equaliser just before half-time left Roberto Martinez's side frustrated. Despite substitutions that saw Pedro Neto, Vitinha, Bernardo Silva, Tomas Araujo, and Nuno Mendes introduced, Martinez kept Ronaldo on the field until the final whistle. The Portugal manager has publicly defended his captain, insisting that Ronaldo remains the best goalscorer in the world, but Scholes suggested that the manager knows, deep down, that the decision is hurting the team.
Scholes also drew attention to Ronaldo's competitive nature, noting that the veteran forward would be seething after watching his long-time rival Lionel Messi score a hat-trick for Argentina, while Kylian Mbappe netted a brace for France. "Cristiano will be so pissed off because Lionel Messi got a hat-trick, Kylian Mbappe got two… it will be killing him," Scholes said. "I feel sorry for Martinez because he's trying to embrace it and he's saying, 'No, I've got the best goalscorer in the world', but deep down he must know that's hurting his team."
Nicky Butt, another former Manchester United teammate who joined Scholes on the podcast, agreed that Martinez faces a "massive problem" with Ronaldo's ego and the overwhelming fan support for the iconic number 7. "I think he's got that much of an ego, Cristiano. He's a great lad but he's got such an ego and he'll be a massive problem for that squad. He was when he came back to Manchester United for a second time, it was a problem," Butt said.
Portugal will face Uzbekistan in their next Group K fixture on Wednesday, June 24, before concluding the group stage against Colombia. With the 41-year-old Ronaldo still leading the line, the debate over his role in the squad is unlikely to subside. For Scholes and a growing number of football pundits, the message is clear: at 41, the only position a player should start in is between the posts.
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