This morning, the Portuguese sports newspaper Record published the story that Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to leave the World Cup when he heard that he would start on the bench against Switzerland. The Football Association hastened to deny that.
Ronaldo came in the round of 16 against the Swiss fifteen minutes before the end. He scored in the final phase, but his goal was disallowed for offside. The Portuguese eventually won with 6-1thanks in part to Gonçalo Ramos, Ronaldo’s replacement.
“The FPF clarifies that at no point did the captain threaten to leave the national team during his stay in Qatar,” the union said. “Every day, Ronaldo continues to build a unique record for the national team and the country, which must be respected.”
Poll
The winner of Morocco – Portugal will be:
- Morocco (30%)
- Portugal (70%)
After the victory over Switzerland, Ronaldo strode straight to the dressing room, while his teammates celebrated on the field with the fans in the stands. One day later Ronaldo did not train with the other substitutesbut he would have participated in a session in the gym with the basic players.
Earlier this World Cup, Ronaldo was substituted in the game against South Korea to his own dissatisfaction. His reaction did not appeal to national coach Fernando Santos: ,,Whether I was happy with it? Absolutely not.”
Portugal will face Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The kick-off is at 4 p.m.
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