- Cristiano Ronaldo was benched for Portugal’s 6-1 win against Switzerland.
- Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick as Ronaldo’s replacement.
- She said it was a shame not to “enjoy the best player in the world” for 90 minutes.
Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t start for Portugal against Switzerland in the World Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday. Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in Portugal’s 6-1 triumph as Ronaldo’s replacement.
Despite Ramos’ influence, many Ronaldo supporters, including his partner Georgina Rodriguez, were unhappy with the Portugal manager’s decision.
Ronaldo hasn’t been in top form in this tournament. Aside from scoring a penalty against Ghana, the forward hasn’t been able to do much for Portugal at the World Cup.
Ronaldo played in all of Portugal’s games in the group stage, but he wasn’t in the starting lineup for the Round of 16 match.
Portugal’s highest-scoring game was against Switzerland, where 4 different players scored, including Ramos, who scored a hat-trick.
After the match, Georgina Rodriguez wrote on Instagram that she didn’t like what Santos did.
“Congratulations Portugal. While the 11 players sang the anthem, all eyes were on you. What a shame not to have been able to enjoy the best player in the world for 90 minutes.
The fans did not stop asking for you and shouting your name. May God and your dear friend Fernando continue hand in hand and make us vibrate one more night,” she said.
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After the match, Fernando Santos, the Portugal manager, explained why he decided to bench Ronaldo in favour of Ramos.
“Christiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos are two separate players. The national team captain is not at fault, “To quote Santos:
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“That move served a strategic purpose. People who play the game are unique. Diogo Dalot and Raphael Guerrero were also starters for me, but Joao Cancelo is the better player. For the match against Switzerland, I had those thoughts; for a different match, my opinion could have been different “As Santos noted.
Based on Ramos’s performance against Switzerland, it’s unlikely that Portugal would start Ronaldo against Morocco in the quarterfinals.
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