Cristiano Ronaldo continues to cause a stir at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The Portugal star was a substitute in the round of 16 match against Switzerland and came on in the 73rd minute, replacing an excellent Joao Felix.
On the day after qualifying for the quarter-finals, coach Fernando Santos organized a training session on the pitch with the players who started on the bench against Switzerland… but Cristiano was not among them.
The starters did some work in the gym and CR7 stayed with them. From Portugal’s training camp, they assure that Cristiano Ronaldo does not have any discomfort and is in perfect condition, but it is surprising that he was not with the group of substitutes who worked on the training field.
Against the Swiss, Fernando Santos ended Cristiano’s streak of 31 games as a starter in major tournaments. The Portuguese had not started a match from the bench since 2008. It was at that year’s European Championship and, curiously, against Switzerland.
Everything that happens around Cristiano Ronaldo always raises controversy. His dropping also caused his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, to react on her social networks regretting the decision of the Portuguese coach.
Surprise among the Portuguese press
The press covering the Portuguese national team showed their surprise for what was witnessed at the Portugal base camp. Everyone expected Cristiano to go out with the group of players who were not in the starting XI to perform different exercises to the starters, who worked at a lower intensity due to the minutes’ load, but they found that the former Manchester United player did not appear.