LUSAIL- Cristiano Ronaldo was a solitary figure as he walked off the field following a World Cup match in which he was not the center of attention.
He’d come off the bench in a 6-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday that moved Portugal into the quarterfinals. Ronaldo’s 21-year-old replacement scored a hat trick in the win — a performance sure to raise questions over Ronaldo’s future with his national team.
Ronaldo congratulated Gonçalo Ramos at midfield at the end of the game, then walked toward the Portugal section of fans and briefly clapped in their direction.
But as the rest of the squad had their moment of fan appreciation, Ronaldo left his teammates behind and walked off alone through the tunnel.
Ronaldo breezed through the post-match interview area with a huge grin on his face, only responding to one question: Was he happy?
“Of course, of course,” the superstar grinned. “Portugal won.”
Really?
Fernando Santos expressed frustration with his 37-year-old star the day before he dropped Ronaldo from the starting lineup.
Santos said the decision was tactical and not disciplinary, but he’d acknowledged Monday he was bothered by Ronaldo’s poor attitude after he pulled him late in a 2-1 loss to South Korea in the final game of group play.
By the time Portugal had taken a 4-1 lead, the crowd at Lusail Stadium was loudly chanting “Ronaldo! Ronaldo!” for the star to enter the game. The cheers then turned to boos directed at Santos for ignoring the pleas.
Ronaldo, wearing a yellow substitute bib in the dugout, was expressionless as the crowd called for him. When he was finally sent onto the field in the 72nd, the crowd erupted. Pepe wrapped the captain’s armband on Ronaldo’s bicep before Ronaldo jogged onto the field.
This is expected to be Ronaldo’s final World Cup. (AP)
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