It was telling that when former Manchester United team-mate John O’Shea, now assistant coach for Republic of Ireland, was asked on Monday how to stop Ronaldo at the Aviva Stadium, he spoke of the need to clear crosses and defend the box.
“He doesn’t run much, he’s more of a forward when strikers that only play in the box are almost extinct right now,” said Pereira.
“He’s the sort of player that doesn’t fit with the patterns that you see especially in top sides today. He wouldn’t play at PSG or Bayern Munich, he wouldn’t be able to.
“Some of those [younger] players who have grown used to playing for teams like PSG or Chelsea or Barcelona or Real Madrid have been used to another rhythm, another way of connecting with their forwards can feel somehow limited by it because they cannot do the same things that they do at their clubs.”
For some, Portugal’s Euro 2024 exit on penalties at the hands of France, which came with Goncalo Ramos and the late Diogo Jota left on the bench, felt a natural end-point yet there have been 13 international goals since.
Ramos’ case to replace his legendary captain in the national side is not helped by his minutes at Paris St-Germain.
When it comes to whether the current iteration of Ronaldo is a help or hindrance, Pereira concludes “there are two sides to every story” – but there remains no doubt over who is the central character.
With a sixth World Cup on the horizon, quite how long this final chapter will last remains unclear.
