How do you make Ronaldo less exceptional? The challenge facing Renard's Morocco

Joe Wright

How do you make Ronaldo less exceptional? The challenge facing Renard's Morocco image

Morocco boss Herve Renard has promised his side will do their best to make Cristiano Ronaldo "less exceptional" when they face Portugal in the World Cup on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the tournament in his side's opening 3-3 draw with Spain, drawing level with Ferenc Puskas as Europe's most prolific international goalscorer on 84 in the process.

Renard's side head into Wednesday's match in Moscow in need of a positive result, having been beaten 1-0 by Iran in their opening Group B match, but Renard accepts stopping Ronaldo could prove an impossible task.

"All I can say is that he's an exceptional player. That word may not even be enough," he told a news conference.

"We must do everything to make it a less exceptional game for him."

Renard also dismissed the idea of man-marking Ronaldo as a potentially futile tactic, especially since Portugal won the Euro 2016 final over France after their talisman had gone off injured.

He added: "If we put three [players] on Ronaldo, I don't know how we would mark the others. They have so much attacking quality. We mustn't forget that we're facing the champions of Europe.

"If I have a good memory, he was injured in the final against France and his team-mates managed to make the difference anyway.

"Of course, he is the essential element... but we need to sleep well tonight, eh!

"If it only happens once in your life that you play Cristiano Ronaldo, you have to be the best you can be."

Joe Wright

Joe Wright Photo

Joe is a Senior Editor at Sporting News. He was previously a sub editor and writer for Goal.com before spending six years as part of the Stats Perform editorial news service, covering major global sports including football, tennis, boxing, NBA, rugby union and athletics. Joe has reported live on some of the biggest games in football, including two UEFA Champions League finals, Euro 2016, the Confederations Cup 2017 and the 2018 World Cup final at the end of a month in Russia.