Portugal coach Cristiano Ronaldo has been benched for the Switzerland match

Al Dayan, Qatar – Cristiano Ronaldo won’t start Portugal The tournament is in its 16th round Switzerland On Tuesday. The last time Ronaldo didn’t start was in the 2006 World Cup against Mexico, when he was 21. He has since started 18 consecutive World Cup matches.

The decision was made by manager Fernando Santos after a tense press conference where he did not appreciate the superstar’s response in the 65th minute of the final group defeat. South Korea.

The impact of Ronaldo being benched

Alexi Lalas, Maurice Edu and Clint Dempsey discuss Portugal’s decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the match against Switzerland.

“I don’t like it, no,” Santos said Monday. “I really didn’t like it. We handled it internally. From that point on, everything was over — full stop on that issue. It was resolved, we fixed it, and that was it.”

At the moment, Santos did not confirm whether Ronaldo would be the captain or start against Switzerland, saying, “When I get to the stadium I will decide who will be the captain. I don’t know the line-up. That’s what I always do. What I’ve always done is focus on the immediate match. Whether a statement is right or wrong. I don’t care.”

On Tuesday, Santos made the call and Ronaldo started on the bench in the knockout rounds.

The 37-year-old Portugal striker has been in the limelight ever since World Cup Began, from exit Manchester United reports that He may sign with Saudi Arabian club Al Nasser For a salary of more than $200 million a year.

After scoring a penalty kick in the first game against Portugal GhanaRonaldo became the first male footballer to score in five World Cups.

Ronaldo has captained the Portugal national team for over a decade. Gonzalo Ramos21, will start in his place.

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