'Cristiano Ronaldo is holding Portugal hostage' - Zlatan Ibrahimovic delivers brutal criticism of Al-Nassr forward after shaky Croatia win

Ibrahimovic launched a scathing assessment of Ronaldo's role in the Portugal national team after Roberto Martinez's side beat Croatia 2-1. Speaking as a Fox Sports pundit, the former AC Milan and Manchester United striker argued that Portugal cannot expect to challenge for major honours with Ronaldo leading the attack at 41. He suggested the Al-Nassr star is being selected because of his status rather than his current performances.

Ibrahimovic used Portugal's victory over Croatia to question Martinez's continued faith in Ronaldo. He argued that Goncalo Ramos' decisive contribution highlighted the need for a change up front and claimed Portugal were holding themselves back by relying on their captain.

"Portugal fans could have expected what's happening," Ibrahimovic stated. "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.

"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."

While the internal debate regarding Ronaldo's role continues to rage, Portugal were arguably lucky to progress past the round of 32 at all. The match in Toronto was filled with controversy, particularly after Josko Gvardiol's late goal was disallowed for offside following a lengthy VAR review. The decision left Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic fuming, as his side was denied a 113th-minute equaliser.

Ronaldo did have his moment in the sun, converting a penalty to level the scores after Ivan Perisic had given Croatia the lead. Selecao eventually won the match through Ramos' goal in the dying seconds.

Portugal now prepare for a last-16 meeting with Spain, a fixture that will place even greater scrutiny on Martinez's team selection. It remains to be seen whether the Portuguese coach will make the big decision to bench Ronaldo or continue to rely on him to lead the team's attack.