Quaresma Says Ronaldo Silenced Henry and Ibrahimovic with Five-Goal Portugal Win

Former Portugal winger Ricardo Quaresma used a television appearance to mock pundits Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and praise Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan. Quaresma said it was “funny” to watch Henry and Ibrahimovic sitting in the studio “like puppets,” unable to respond, because Ronaldo’s performance destroyed the script they had prepared.

Portugal’s rout of Uzbekistan came days after Ronaldo scored twice in the match. Quaresma, 42, said Ronaldo’s display completely overturned the expectations set by the studio analysis. The comments were a direct response to the sharp criticism Ronaldo faced after Portugal were held to a surprising 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in the opening round.

Quaresma spoke from the perspective of a long-time teammate. He played alongside Ronaldo for many years with the national team, and the pair were part of Portugal’s Euro 2016 title run. Quaresma finished his international career with 80 caps.

Portugal now closes Group H against Colombia in the final round. The television segment also featured Henry and Ibrahimovic as World Cup 2026 analysts, alongside other former players.