'Must adapt' - Bruno Fernandes on Cristiano Ronaldo's career

Stuart Telford

• 16 Oct 2023 22:40 BST
• 3 min read

Bruno Fernandes says Cristiano Ronaldo has had to adapt his game but remains one of the best Portuguese players of all time as he winds down his career in Saudi Arabia at the age of 38.

Fernandes and Ronaldo helped fire Portugal to Euro 2024 qualification on Friday, with the latter hitting a late brace in a 3-2 victory over Slovakia. They then followed that with a 5-0 at Bosnia-Herzegovina - a dead rubber in which they both scored.

The goals conceded against Slovakia were the only two Portugal allowed against them in eight qualifying games, with 32 scored across their eight victories.

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr: Goals, assists, results & fixtures

Ronaldo has scored a joint-best nine goals in qualifying - tied with Belgium's Romelu Lukaku - and Fernandes says his former Manchester United teammate is one of a kind.

'Not what he used to be'

"I hope another Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo appears but I think it's unlikely and it's up to us, all the Portuguese, to enjoy him and enjoy what he can still give us, regardless of the fact they often say: 'ah, he’s not what he used to be,'" he said.

"All players as the years go by have to adapt, have to be different, but Cristiano, although different and always adapting, continues to do that which he does best which is score goals."

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It is a change in tone from the Man Utd star, whose relationship with Ronaldo appeared to be fractured after the latter left Old Trafford under a cloud last winter, which followed his petulant reaction to being dropped by Portugal before they were knocked out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage.

Ronaldo has scored 25 goals in 30 games for Al-Nassr, as well as contributing two assists, since his unsanctioned interview with Piers Morgan in which he slammed the club and its manager Erik ten Hag.

His words have seemed prescient since, with United only sitting 10th in the Premier League this season despite Fernandes' best efforts.