Post Ronaldo, Messi & Neymar Era Begins With Defeats For Portugal, Argentina & Brazil

Indian football fans woke up to a series of shock results over the weekend as three international heavyweights—Portugal, Brazil and Argentina—suffered defeats in their first few outings after the retirements of Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr. and Lionel Messi, respectively.

Portugal slumped to a humiliating 4-1 home defeat against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League in their first match since Ronaldo’s international retirement, while Brazil, rebuilding for the post-Neymar era, suffered a 3-2 loss to Japan in an international friendly in Singapore on Saturday. A day earlier, Argentina went down 2-1 to Uruguay in their first outing since Messi’s farewell match.

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Portugal’s home defeat was particularly disappointing, as the team paid emotional tributes to Ronaldo before kickoff. His former teammates wore jerseys bearing his iconic No. 7, but failed to deliver a performance worthy of the occasion. The 41-year-old superstar had announced his international retirement last week, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable 23-year international career. Portugal, already assured of a Nations League quarterfinal berth, produced a lacklustre display that drew whistles from frustrated home supporters.

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Bernardo Silva scored the consolation goal for Portugal, which stood after a VAR check. Bruno Fernandes is having a rough time with Manchester United and the national side, and Pedro Neto has also had inconsistent performances for Chelsea and his national team. Another stars that Portugal manager Jorge Jesus looked up to were probably Joao Felix and Goncalo Ramos failed to step up. Jesus has to come up with a different strategy.

Meanwhile, two spectacular goals from Vinicius Jr. were not enough to save Brazil from a 3-2 defeat against Japan. The match ended in controversy, with Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti and Raphinha receiving red cards.

The victory offered Japan some revenge after Brazil eliminated them in the round of 32 at the World Cup in June. Brazil were subsequently knocked out by Norway in the round of 16.

Brazil, rebuilding under Ancelotti following the World Cup exit and Neymar’s retirement, have struggled for consistency, managing just two wins in four international friendlies. One of those wins came against India. Raphinha has been unable to translate his goal-scoring ability for Barcelona into the national team. Brazil will sorely miss Neymar’s dazzling skills, trickery and creative flair on the field.

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Argentina’s post-Messi era also began on a disappointing note as Uruguay secured a 2-1 victory at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires on Friday.

The defeat marked Argentina’s first international appearance since Messi retired in early October. Coach Lionel Scaloni, who recently extended his contract until 2030, now faces the challenge of rebuilding the side without its talismanic captain.

The emotional impact of Messi’s departure was evident in the stands, with the stadium falling short of a sellout. Although several supporters wore Messi’s iconic No. 10 jersey, Scaloni chose to leave the number unassigned, saying he had yet to identify a successor.

The weekend’s results underlined the challenges confronting three football giants as they attempt to move forward without the superstars who defined an era.

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