Cristiano Ronaldo isn't in the starting lineup for Portugal's match against Switzerland on Tuesday in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
The move came a day after his coach expressed frustration about his team captain's attitude in the last game. Gonçalo Ramos, who plays for Portuguese club Benfica, is starting in Ronaldo's place at Lusail Stadium.The 37-year-old striker opened the tournament with a goal against Ghana to become the first player to score in five different World Cups.
Finally in his Monday news conference, Santos conceded Ronaldo’s attitude in the game against South Korea was the one distraction — of many — that had pushed him too far. “I didn’t like it, not at all. I really didn’t like it,” Santos said Monday of Ronaldo’s poor attitude at being taken out of the game against South Korea. “We fixed that in-house and that’s it.”
It’s not unprecedented for Ronaldo to get less playing time because the aging superstar has faded of late. He barely played in the Premier League for United through the first half of the season, and Santos dropped him from the Portugal lineup for a Nations League game against Spain in March.
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