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AL RAYYAN, Qatar : Portugal's Football Federation (FPF) has denied media reports that Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the national team during the World Cup after coach Fernando Santos dropped the captain for their last-16 win over Switzerland.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has quashed reports Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to walk out on Portugal's World Cup campaign.
Cristiano Ronaldo first found himself unloved and unwanted by Manchester United. Now the unthinkable has happened -- he has been dumped by Portugal.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on Thursday denied Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to abandon the World Cup squad after being benched against Switzerland.
Portugal’s forward #26 Goncalo Ramos celebrates after scoring his team’s fifth goal, his hat-trick, during the Qatar 2022 World Cup round of 16 football match between Portugal and Switzerland at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha on December 6, 2022. (Photo by Jewel SAMAD / AFP)
Portugal’s forward #07 Cristiano Ronaldo takes part in a training session at the Al Shahaniya SC training site, northwest of Doha on December 5, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Round of 16 football match between Portugal and Switzerland. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)
DOHA: Cristiano Ronaldo first found himself unloved and unwanted by Manchester United. Now the unthinkable has happened — he has been dumped by Portugal. The superstar forward was largely a spectator as the side he has captained for so long threw off the shackles and romped to a 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the World Cup last-16 on Tuesday. Young striker Goncalo Ramos, brought in for Ronaldo, scored a stunning hat-trick and at least competed with his illustrious teammate for the headlines. Ronaldo came to the World Cup seeking respite after his troubled spell at Old Trafford this season, where he had become a peripheral figure under new manager Erik ten Hag. Those frustrations boiled over last month in an explosive TV interview in which he lashed out at the club and the coach, leading to an inevitable parting of the ways. The 37-year-old landed in Qatar to the usual fanfare, once again the focus of fawning attention from the world’s media. Things even went to script in Portugal’s first game, when he scored the opener from the penalty spot in a 3-2 win against Ghana, becoming the first man to score goals at five World Cups. But things went downhill from there. He huffed and puffed through games against Uruguay and South Korea but failed to find the net and Portugal were less than the sum of their considerable parts. Portugal coach Fernando Santos, who masterminded the side’s triumph at Euro 2016, finally took the decision to leave his star man out against the Swiss and was vindicated in spectacular fashion. Portugal turned on the style, with Benfica’s Ramos, 21, netting three times in a free-flowing attacking performance.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos said his decision to leave Cristiano Ronaldo out of his starting team for Tuesday's 6-1 triumph over Switzerland in the World Cup last 16 had been "strategic and nothing more."