For Portugal’s biggest game of the 2022 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo will find himself in the place he hates the most.
Bench.
The 37-year-old megastar was not named in the starting line-up for the Round of 16 match against Switzerland on Tuesday. This is his first game on the bench.
Goncalo Ramos replaced Ronaldo in the striker.
A few days before the World Cup, Ronaldo protested against his former club Manchester United in an interview with Piers Morgan. He singled out that he had been “betrayed” by the club and objected to the team’s decision to repeatedly opt for other strikers over him. He then agreed to part ways with the club and was recently linked with Saudi club Al-Nassr.
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The World Cup and the Portuguese national team should have given Ronaldo a reprieve. Instead, it caused more controversy. Portugal coach Fernando Santos said he “didn’t like” Ronaldo’s attitude after Portugal’s final group stage defeat to South Korea on Friday.
Ronaldo has one goal in the tournament, scoring from the penalty spot in Portugal’s win over Ghana.
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