Three careers in one! Ferdinand delivers a passionate defence of Ronaldo amid Portugal crisis

Rio Ferdinand has launched a passionate defence of Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting that critics are judging the 41 year old on his final years and forgetting that he has lived three world-class careers in one.

Details: Speaking on his podcast, the former Manchester United defender reminded everyone where Portugal were before Ronaldo and stressed that the veteran is still putting up staggering numbers for his age.

• Also read: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Sweden prediction: who will come out on top in the leaders’ showdown?

Ferdinand's intervention comes at the most turbulent moment of Ronaldo's international career. The Portugal captain was benched for the Nations League match against Norway, left the stadium without saying goodbye, missed a training session and this week held an emergency summit with coach Jorge Jesus and federation president Pedro Proença to clarify his role going forward. Against that backdrop, the debate about whether the legend is now holding the team back has grown louder than ever. Ferdinand firmly rejected that narrative, pointing to Ronaldo's entire body of work at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus and arguing that no matter what league he plays in now, his scoring output remains remarkable for someone of his age.

It's worth noting that Ronaldo's numbers with Portugal truly are unprecedented: more than 230 caps and a goals record that may never be broken, plus the Euro 2016 and Nations League triumphs that transformed a nation with no major trophies into serial winners. The question now is whether the emergency talks with Jesus will lead to a peaceful reduced role or a far more dramatic ending. Ferdinand, at least, has made it crystal clear on which side of the argument he stands.

Reminder: Crisis in Portugal! Emergency summit between Ronaldo and his coach