Ramos sparks controversy with a post about the “best centre-forward”

After Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway, Ramos shared a post that drew him into a controversy involving Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward had taken the opportunity to start in Ronaldo’s place in the previous three matches, scoring 3 goals and setting up another. The post came just days after Ronaldo’s controversial departure from the national-team camp.

On Instagram, Ramos had reshared a message from sports commentator Luis Freitas Lobo describing him as the “best centre-forward” in Portuguese football. The message also argued that Ramos’s qualities went beyond the brand recognition associated with Ronaldo. Ramos added the phrase “status of the best player” when sharing it, then deleted the post a few hours later. Several of Ronaldo’s supporters interpreted it as an indirect message to the former Portugal captain.

The episode comes as Ramos continues to get chances to prove himself. First called up to the Portugal squad in 2022, he has since played 31 international matches and scored 14 goals. For much of his international career he had been behind Ronaldo in the forwards’ pecking order, before recently getting successive opportunities. Jorge Jesus said he had known Ramos’s qualities since his beginnings at Benfica and praised his progress. Jesus also said Ramos “is progressing quickly and will continue to improve”, adding that his current level is an important contribution to his new team, Milan, under coach Ruben Amorim.