Sheet Litman
College football and soccer analyst
AL DAAYEN, Qatar – Cristiano Ronaldo will not start for Portugal in Tuesday’s round of 16 match against Switzerland. The last time Ronaldo didn’t start at a World Cup was in a group match against Mexico in 2006 when he was 21 years old. Since then he has started in 18 consecutive World Cup games.
Coach Fernando Santos made the decision after a tense press conference in which he said he didn’t appreciate the superstar’s reaction to being substituted in the 65th minute of their last group game defeat by South Korea.
Effects of Ronaldo’s bench
Alexi Lalas, Maurice Edu and Clint Dempsey discuss Portugal’s decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the Switzerland game.
“I didn’t like it, not at all,” Santos said on Monday. “I really didn’t like it. We’ve taken care of it internally. From that moment everything is ready – point by point. It’s solved, we fixed it, and that’s it.”
At the moment, Santos didn’t want to confirm whether Ronaldo would remain captain or be in the starting XI against Switzerland: “I don’t decide who will be captain until I arrive at the stadium. I don’t know the line-up. That’s what I always do .” do. I’ve always focused on the immediate game. I don’t worry if a report is right or wrong.”
Santos called on Tuesday and Ronaldo starts the knockout round on the bench.
The 37-year-old Portuguese striker was the center of attention even before the World Cup began, from leaving Manchester United to reports he was signing with Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr for a salary of more than $200m a year could.
Ronaldo has yet to score after a penalty goal in Portugal’s first game against Ghana, which made him the first male footballer to score in five World Cups.
Ronaldo has been Portugal’s national team captain for more than a decade. Gonçalo Ramos, 21, will start in his place.
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