‘We do not depend entirely on him’ – Barcelona full-back talks about Cristiano Ronaldo’s presence in Portugal

Barcelona full-back Joao Cancelo has said that his national compatriot and former Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is past his prime.

The Manchester City loanee suggested that although Ronaldo is an important player for the national team, the Selecao do not depend entirely on him.

“He is an important player and spent 15 years competing with Messi for the Ballon d’Or, but the peak of a footballer’s career is between the ages of 25 and 32,” said the 29-year-old in an interview with RTP Sport (h/t GOAL).

“He is an important player for us, but the national team does not depend entirely on him,” he added.

Cancelo, Felix and Ronaldo all rested by Portugal

As the national teams begin their preparations for the upcoming UEFA Euros, Portugal national team head coach Roberto Martinez has decided to rest Cancelo, Ronaldo and Joao Felix for their upcoming friendly match against Sweden.

Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo have played regularly for Barcelona this season. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

In a recent announcement, the Portuguese Federation disclosed that both the Portuguese team captain and the Barcelona players, Cancelo and Felix, would only join the squad “at the beginning of preparations for the match against Slovenia,” scheduled for the 26th in Ljubljana.

This decision was clarified by Martinez himself last Friday when he revealed the squad. The head coach explained that March presents a significant challenge for the players, with numerous matches across all competitions and considerable mental fatigue.

During this month alone, Ronaldo has played for a total of 390 minutes across four games with Saudi side Al Nassr.

Meanwhile, Felix is recovering from a demanding match at the Metropolitano, where he scored the opening goal in Barça’s 3-0 victory against Atletico Madrid.

As for Cancelo, he missed the Atletico clash due to medical advice but before that, he completed the full 90 minutes against Mallorca and Athletic Club in La Liga, and Napoli in the UEFA Champions League.