[골닷컴] Reporter Kim Dong-ho = News broke that Cristiano Ronaldo was about to leave the team during the World Cup. However, the Portuguese Football Federation denied this.
Portuguese media ‘Hekord’ said on the 8th (Korean time): “I was about to leave the World Cup squad after hearing the news that Ronaldo was excluded from selection for the match against Switzerland. But after talking to coach Fernando Santos, I have decided to stay with the team.”
However, the Portuguese Football Federation said the same day: “Ronaldo has never threatened to leave the national team during his stay in Qatar. He is always dedicated to the national team ”.
Previously, Portugal had won 6-1 in the round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar against Switzerland to claim the last remaining place in the quarter-finals. It is the first time in 16 years since 2006 that Portugal have reached the quarter-finals at the World Cup.
In this match, coach Santos put Ronaldo on the bench, ‘captain’ and ‘key’ striker, as well as Portugal’s all-time top scorer (118 goals). The reason was that there were no shots from the field except penalty kicks (PK) in the group stage and that he displayed controversial behavior when he was substituted in the third match against Korea last time out.
Ronaldo sat on the bench and watched the match with a gloomy expression on his face. Although his teammates congratulated him every time he scored, his expression wasn’t brilliant every time the relay camera was re-rolled. Coincidentally, Gonzalo Hamus, who was eliminated as starter, managed the first ‘hat-trick’ of this tournament and led the team to a big victory.
Late on, coach Santos made a 29th-minute substitution when he claimed victory and Ronaldo fell to the ground. However, during the free-kick occasion, the shot was blocked by the defensive wall, showing no impact, and the game finished without scoring. After the match, Ronaldo walked into the locker room without looking back and pouted.
After the match, Ronaldo was even reported to have threatened to quit the team, leading to tensions within and outside the Portuguese national team. However, the Portuguese Football Federation immediately announced clarifications and started to evolve. Portugal faces Morocco in the quarterfinals.
