Whether he is on the team or not, Cristiano Ronaldo finds a way to make headlines. After being benched by Portugal manager Fernando Santos for the Round of 16 match against Switzerland, Ronaldo did come on in the second half but failed to add to his team’s tally. While Portugal crushed Switzerland 6-1 to qualify for the quarter-finals, Ronaldo didn’t have any direct contribution to any of the goals. A video has now emerged on social media where Ronaldo’s reaction after the full-time whistle has left many fans bemused.
As Portugal secured their quarter-finals ticket, most of Portugal’s players joined their teammates on the pitch to celebrate the triumph in front of their fans. Ronaldo also seemed to have applauded his fans for a bit but as the rest of the players continued to celebrate, their captain left. The 37-year-old was spotted heading back to the locker room not long after the full-time whistle. Seeing him not being a part of the on-pitch celebrations has left many fans scratching their heads.
Here are the videos of what happened after the match:
Cristiano Ronaldo applauding the Portuguese fans after the game.
But again the ‘media’ make up lies. pic.twitter.com/vGkYWIuio3
— TC (@totalcristiano) December 6, 2022
Cristiano Ronaldo (left of picture) walks straight off while his teammates celebrate with fans. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/W7jB6iGQOO
— Adriano Del Monte (@adriandelmonte) December 6, 2022
Goncalo Ramos, the man who was trusted in the centre of Portugal’s attack in place of Ronaldo by the Portugal manager, scored a hat-trick in the match and was central to his team’s 6-1 triumph.
When Santos was asked if Ronaldo will be involved against Morocco in the quarter-final, he didn’t paint a rosy picture.
“Ronaldo will definitely (be involved), all the players on the bench can be used, if they are not in the starting lineup, they can play later.
“It is important to look at the example of this player’s history, he is one of the best players in the world at playing professionally, being captain – all we have to do is think about this team collectively,” he said.
Portugal play Morocco in the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup on December 10.
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