On Thursday, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) denied that star forward .Cristiano Ronaldo had threatened to leave the World Cup squad after being named as a substitute against Switzerland earlier this week. Ronaldo was named as a substitute for that match.
Gonçalo Ramos, a Benfica forward, replaced the 37-year-old striker in Tuesday’s game against Switzerland in the last 16 and scored a stunning hat trick to help Portugal defeat Switzerland 6-1.
The striker had previously threatened to leave the team during a conversation with manager Fernando Santos, according to Record, a Portuguese publication.The statement read, The FPF clarifies that the captain of the national team.
Cristiano Ronaldo, at no time threatened to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar.
Cristiano Ronaldo is accumulating a one-of-a-kind track record of service to the national team and the country every day, which must be respected and demonstrates his undeniable dedication to the national team.
In addition, just a few hours after the FPF statement, Ronaldo took to social media to reaffirm his dedication to the team, writing: a group that is too solid to be broken by outside forces. a nation that is too brave to be scared of anyone. A true team that will fight for the dream until the very end! Take heart from us!
Although Ronaldo’s recent performances have fallen far short of the high standards he has set for himself throughout his career, it is still unclear why he was moved to the bench.
Santos expressed dissatisfaction with his captain’s response to being substituted.
In the previous game against South Korea during his pre-match press conference prior to the round of 16. Ronaldo had not been included in Portugal’s starting lineup for a major tournament since Euro 2008.Ronaldo, who was watching his teammates from the bench, did not sulk.
The Portuguese team looked more energetic going forward without the veteran striker, and the young Ramos terrified the Switzerland defenders with his intensity and quality in the final third.
Portugal’s best performance of the tournament came in its win over Switzerland, which raises the question of whether Ronaldo will be able to fight his way back into the starting lineup for his team’s quarterfinal matchup with Morocco on Saturday. Portugal is aiming to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2006.Ben Church and Matias Grez from CNN contributed to the reporting.