Boateng argued that Ronaldo's presence creates tactical gravity that pulls the attack toward him and limits Portugal's fluidity. He suggested Roberto Martinez should use his captain more sparingly and lean on younger players from the start.
Can I be honest? Ronaldo, if he were a true team player, would step aside and let the young players shine.
Boateng went further, stating that Portugal would be stronger without Ronaldo in the middle of the pitch because of the pressure teammates feel to feed him the ball.
Portugal is a better team without him. There is so much pressure when he is in the middle, because everyone wants to pass him the ball.
He said he remains a big fan of Ronaldo's career but believes age has changed what the five-time Ballon d'Or winner can deliver over 90 minutes. His proposed solution was a bench role with late cameos.
If Portugal wants to have a chance to go far, I believe Ronaldo should step aside. Let the others play and come on in the last 15-20 minutes to get that big result from his game.
Ronaldo still made history in the DR Congo match as the oldest outfield player to ever start a World Cup game at 41 years and 132 days, but his on-pitch output was limited. Opta data showed just 25 touches across the full 90 minutes, his lowest tally in a major tournament match where he played the entire game, and he finished without a shot on target for only the sixth time in his World Cup career.
Despite the criticism, Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez defended his talisman after the draw. Ronaldo is still expected to retain his starting place when Portugal face Uzbekistan on matchday two.
