With Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, the superstar striker’s replacement - Goncalo Ramos - scored a hat trick to lead Portugal over Switzerland.
It was around the hour mark that fans around the 89,000-seat Lusail Stadium started to implore Santos to bring on the 37-year-old Ronaldo, and they got their wish in the 72nd minute. Portugal had the game wrapped up by then, with defendersAfter briefly celebrating with his teammates following the final whistle, Ronaldo walked off the field on his own — perhaps wondering where his career goes from here. He ismidway through the World Cup and he might no longer be the starter for his country.
“We have to think about this team collectively now,” Santos said, before talking about Ronaldo. “I still consider he has a very important role in the team.”Ronaldo was dropped a day after Santos expressed his unhappiness at the striker’s attitude after he was substituted against South Korea in the team’s final group game. After the Switzerland game, the coach said it was a strategic decision, not a disciplinary one.
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