Cristiano Ronaldo is making more headlines than the FIFA World Cup itself. It looks like the megastar of the football world is not happy with the national team coach either. He has already been making such news due to a vendetta with the Manchester United manager. And now it is Fernando Santos, the Portuguese coach who decided to replace Ronaldo with a 21-year-old striker. Obviously, the five-time Ballon D\’or winner did not like it and expressed it by leaving the field after the game.
Ronaldo is one of the world\’s biggest athletes, with a huge social media following. When it comes to Instagram, he is the most followed person. With half a billion followers on the planet. But does that give him the right to be bigger than the game itself? Keep reading to find out what football pundits and fans said about Ronaldo after the incident.
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Cristiano Ronaldo Left The Pitch Immediately
It is turning out to be routine for Ronaldo to leave the pitch early if he does not get his way. The 37-year-old was let to warm the bench until the 75th minute of the game. It is believed that it was because Santos got angry at Ronaldo\’s reaction in South Korea\’s match. But Manager Santos did not say anything in the interviews that would prove that. But his absence from the game was one hell of a hint. Meanwhile, many Portuguese also voted in a reputed poll that Ronaldo should come on as a substitute in the second half of the game.
The age has taken its toll on Ronaldo, and he does not play the same as he used to a few years earlier. Therefore a younger and more dynamic Gonçalo Ramos replaced him to start the game. An impeccable decision from an experienced coach as he went on to score a hat trick in a huge win for Portugal. It was a historic win for Portugal as it was the first time they won by such a margin in a World Cup. Portugal drilled Switzerland with a 6-1 scoreline to head into the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Ronaldo congratulated Ramos and headed toward the tunnel, clapping and celebrating with fans after the final whistle. He left the whole team who were celebrating the historic win with the fans. Following the incident, Gary Neville reacted by saying Cristiano must stop sulking. Even the commentators said, \” I dont know what he is doing here? He\’s heading off the field first\”. If Ronaldo wants to break or be equal to Eusébio, he will require more games in the World Cup.
According to Craig Foster, missing a big World Cup game will affect Ronaldo\’s level. But he needs to keep his head up and stay in the competition. Foster then compared the striker with Lionel Messi, who is very much involved with his team in the game. Foster thinks that Ronaldo should be delighted at the opportunity of playing more games at the World Cup.