What if Ronaldo's farewell was like Kobe Bryant's?

In the Portuguese newspaper A Bola, sports strategy and management consultant Felipe Gomes outlined a hypothetical plan suggesting how the Portugal national team could have smoothly handled the Cristiano Ronaldo situation.

Sports strategy and management consultant Felipe Gomes. Photo: A Bola

Within just one week, Ronaldo went from starting at Alvalade Stadium to being surplus during this FIFA Days period, then abruptly left the national team. Simultaneously, Portugal became the first team to secure a spot in the Nations League quarterfinals. Regarding Cristiano Ronaldo's situation, Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) President Pedro Proenca called it a "misunderstanding that needs to be resolved internally." Meanwhile, coach Jorge Jesus left open the possibility of recalling him in November with a statement that summarized the core issue: "Ronaldo knows the time to stop will come, but he wants that end to happen on his own terms."

Who is right and who is wrong will be a subject of debate in the coming days and is not the core content I wish to present. My concern here is the method of execution. The player with the most appearances and goals in Portugal's history may be living out the final days of his national team journey. Experience shows that the farewell of a superstar of this caliber is often decided long before the breaking point, depending on whether it has been well-prepared. This is the starting point for the following hypothetical plan.

Kobe Bryant's precedent

In 2015, Kobe Bryant announced his retirement through a poem published on The Players’ Tribune forum titled: "Dear Basketball." That same night, fans at the Staples Center, the Lakers' home arena, found the poem pre-printed on every seat.

Kobe Bryant poses during his 2015 retirement announcement. Photo: The Players' Tribune

The season quickly transformed into a "retirement tour." Throughout NBA arenas, even those of historical rivals like Boston, he was honored. Sponsor Nike developed a dedicated shoe line and a media campaign around this culmination. Kobe's final game ended with 60 points and the legendary "Mamba out" farewell. The poem was later adapted into a short animated film and won an Oscar in 2018.

However, it is also important to consider the professional context at the time. The Lakers had endured their worst season in history with only 17 wins and 65 losses. Nevertheless, hardly anyone paid attention to that, as Kobe's farewell narrative completely dominated media coverage.

From a management perspective, Kobe's case centered on three fundamental decisions. First, he directly wrote and announced his farewell; the club and the league played a receptive and supportive role. Second, the information was released early, transforming each of Kobe's remaining games into a special event. And third, the tribute was entirely separate from discussions of performance or on-field achievements.

A hypothetical plan for Ronaldo

Imagine immediately after the 2026 World Cup and the arrival of coach Jesus at the helm of Portugal, the FPF, along with Ronaldo, the new head coach, and the entire team, announcing a plan for the 2026-2027 Nations League campaign. This would be Ronaldo's final tournament in the national team jersey, where each match would serve as an episode in the concluding chapter of his career.

Ronaldo during a training session with the Portugal national team at Eleda Stadium, Malmo, Sweden on 29/9. Photo: Reuters

The retirement announcement would originate from the superstar himself, in his own style and on his personal media channels. The FPF would serve as the organizer, setting the stage. In a farewell scenario, the athlete's voice holds the greatest emotional value, and organizations benefit by amplifying that voice.

There is also a difference in scale here. Kobe's retirement tour was confined to arenas of a domestic league. Ronaldo's journey would span multiple countries, drawing in many peer federations, stadiums, and their audiences into a historic moment, amplified by a UEFA tournament broadcast across Europe and the world. Beyond Portugal's tribute to its captain, it would be a global celebration. For UEFA and the Nations League, this also represents a rare "gold mine" in terms of media rights and viewership.

The key factor would be an implicit agreement finalized before the first call-up, concerning Ronaldo's role on the field. Professional decisions would still rest with the head coach. The tribute would proceed whether he started, was a substitute, or even absent, and the player himself would have understood this from day one.

This plan must simultaneously serve professional objectives, meaning providing opportunities for the next generation of players to shine in each match – those who will compete in the 2030 World Cup on home soil – while also building a farewell narrative that does not depend on goals. Because scoring 60 points like Kobe is not something that can be pre-programmed.

Ronaldo celebrates the Nations League championship after the Portugal – Spain final at Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany on 9/6/2025. Photo: Reuters

At that time, the Nations League group stage would offer a fixture list tied to milestones in Cristiano Ronaldo's career:

The Portugal - Wales match at Sporting Lisbon's Alvalade Stadium could be portrayed as a return to where it all began, with Ronaldo's letter placed on each seat and young players from the Sporting academy taking to the field.

The Norway – Portugal match in Oslo would be a tribute from the Norwegian Football Federation with a historic handshake between Ronaldo and Erling Haaland. With the agreed arrangement, Cristiano Ronaldo sitting on the bench at this point would be entirely within the script.

The Denmark - Portugal match in Copenhagen, meanwhile, would be a contest dedicated to international fans and former teammates throughout Ronaldo's career stages.

The Portugal - Norway match would take place at Dragao Stadium – the venue for the opening match of Euro 2004. This is where Ronaldo made his debut in a major tournament and scored his first goal for the national team.

The Portugal - Denmark match in Braga would be the final home group stage match. Therefore, former legends could be invited to gather in the stands, leading to a symbolic moment of passing on the captain's armband.

The Wales – Portugal match in Cardiff, the city where Ronaldo scored two goals in the 2017 Champions League final, would also be a perfect scenario.

And once Portugal advanced deep into the knockout rounds, it would be an opportunity for Ronaldo to bid farewell at the pinnacle of his career as the reigning champion of the tournament, a title he won in 2025.

In the implementation phase, the FPF would have ample room to issue numbered commemorative hard tickets, design unique details on the captain's armband or match kits for each game (with UEFA approval), establish a tribute protocol negotiated separately with each peer federation, produce a series of exclusive media content, and share this script with UEFA and broadcast partners.

On his personal channels, Ronaldo could broadcast a behind-the-scenes documentary. For commercial partners, led by Nike, this would be an opportunity to launch a limited-edition collection of match shoes for each game, similar to what they did with Kobe. Fans would also have a shared digital space to store a collective archive of goals and memories.

Coach Jorge Jesus during a training session with the Portugal national team in Copenhagen, Denmark on 30/9. Photo: Reuters

In any farewell of an active athlete, the most sensitive variable is always determining their role on the field. No media plan can definitively resolve conflicts over who should start, nor is that the function of media. However, a well-designed plan can completely change public perception of professional decisions. Without a clearly defined role, each call-up or starting lineup can easily be seen as a "verdict" judging the player's status. Conversely, with an agreed-upon farewell time and a prior understanding, the same decision – such as Ronaldo being a substitute – would immediately become a natural part of the farewell script.

This is a hypothetical plan, considered in advance and not delving into the internal affairs of the team. Those directly managing internal matters always possess more information than outside observers. But what remains here is a management model applicable to other cases: centering the athlete's voice, setting a clear timeline, transparently agreeing on roles, and building a schedule that transforms each match into a public event. This model could serve national teams, clubs, or brands wishing to accompany the final journey of an icon.

Specifically for Ronaldo, the final page has not yet been written, and he deserves more than a regular tribute match. That is the difference. Ronaldo is not an ordinary player. He is the pride of Portugal and one of the greatest legends of all time.

Hoang Thong (according to A Bola)