Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo could no longer deliver at the highest level three years before his return to Old Trafford in August 2021. Ten Hag, who was dismissed from his managerial role in October 2024, made these remarks during an interview with the Dutch television programme Goedemorgen Eredivisie.

This follows previous comments last month where Ten Hag criticised the Portugal legend for failing to prepare properly during his second spell with the Red Devils. Ronaldo previously quit United in November 2022 after stating he felt betrayed by the Dutch manager.

During the interview, Ten Hag acknowledged Ronaldo's status among the world's greatest players but argued that his peak ended years prior. He stated, Let there be no misunderstanding on my part, he is of course a great player. He belongs among the greats of the world. But the reality is also that he hasn't been able to deliver for the last seven or eight years. From Juventus onwards, it was simply over.

United signed Ronaldo at age 37 from Juventus, a club he joined from Real Madrid in 2018. Ten Hag praised Real Madrid for recognising when a player's level is dropping, noting that the Spanish club parts ways with players when they appear to be at their peak to the outside world but can no longer deliver.

Ronaldo, now 41, currently plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr, where he has scored 138 goals in 160 appearances and is nearing 1000 career goals. During his second stint at United, he scored 27 goals from 54 appearances. This compared with his first spell under Sir Alex Ferguson, which yielded 118 goals from 292 games, alongside Premier League, Champions League, and Ballon d'Or titles.

Following his move to Real Madrid in 2011, Ronaldo scored 450 goals in 438 appearances and won 15 major trophies, including four Champions League titles. When he returned to England after scoring 101 goals across three seasons for Juventus, Ten Hag believes he joined a club that was also past its peak.

Ten Hag added, He couldn't bring himself to torture himself anymore. To give it his all every day. To get fit. If you aren't fit in the Premier League, you stand no chance. He can still finish chances. You can still see that. But if you can't get into the penalty area anymore.

Tensions eventually boiled over when Ten Hag left Ronaldo out of his starting lineup, leading the forward to leave the stadium after remaining on the bench during a 2-0 victory against Tottenham in October 2022. Reflecting on his decisions, Ten Hag, who is now the technical director at Dutch club FC Twente, stated, He won the Champions League five times and scored so many goals. He gave so much to football. We all enjoyed him, me included. But at that moment, I had to make choices in the interest of the team and the club. Ultimately, the choice was up to him. Whether he wants to make that investment. If he doesn't want to, I have to make other choices in the interest of the club. We have seen that. No one is bigger than a club or a country. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo. Not even Messi. Ultimately, the team always comes first.

Background on Erik ten Hag and Manchester United

Erik ten Hag took charge of Manchester United in the summer of 2022 after a successful managerial spell with Dutch club Ajax, where he won multiple Eredivisie titles and reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. His arrival at Old Trafford was seen as a major rebuild project for a club that had struggled to secure domestic or European silverware since the retirement of long-serving manager Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. During his tenure, Ten Hag secured the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024, but faced mounting pressure due to inconsistent league performances.

Cristiano Ronaldo Career Timeline

Cristiano Ronaldo began his professional career with Sporting CP before moving to Manchester United in 2003, where he established himself as one of the finest wingers in world football. His record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 transformed him into a prolific central forward, breaking numerous goalscoring records in Spain. In 2018, he moved to Italian giants Juventus, winning two Serie A titles before returning to Manchester United in August 2021 for a fee reported by media outlets at the time as fifteen million euros plus add-ons. After his contract at Old Trafford was terminated by mutual consent in November 2022, he moved to the Saudi Professional League with Al-Nassr.