Cristiano Ronaldo may lose his leadership of Portugal in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Switzerland.
Portugal’s superstar Cristiano Ronaldo may not lead the squad against Switzerland after falling out with team manager Fernando Santos.
Portugal will face Switzerland in the final round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday at the Lusail Iconic Stadium. However, the 2016 European Champions may not have their superstar Cristiano Ronaldo leading the team after a spat with team manager Fernando Santos.
A fortnight after that shocking interview with Piers Morgan in which he discussed his feud with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, Ronaldo appears to have irritated yet another manager, this time the manager of the Portugal national team, as evidenced by his reaction when he was substituted during the team’s final group game last week against South Korea.
Ronaldo was replaced in the 65th minute of the game, just before South Korea scored the game-winning goal. Ronaldo yelled as he went off the field, placing his finger to his lips. However, Ronaldo had previously stated that the incident was the result of a heated dispute with one of the South Korean players.
Santos stated on Monday, before of the match against Switzerland, “Have I seen the photos? Yes, I did not enjoy it at all. It didn’t sit well with me. It didn’t sit well with me. But, from that point on, everything in that matter is over. These issues are handled behind closed doors. It has been resolved. This situation is now closed, and everyone’s attention is focused on tomorrow’s match.”
Santos then remained tight-lipped about whether Ronaldo would captain Portugal in the Last 16 match or even play.
“”When I get to the stadium, I just choose who will be captain,” the manager added.
“I’m still not sure what the lineup will be. That’s what I’ve always done and will continue to do, and it will be the same tomorrow. The other issue has been resolved. We corrected it in-house, and that’s all there is to it.”
FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Switzerland
