Bernardo Silva says Cristiano Ronaldo’s benching on the 2022 World Cup got here as little shock to these contained in the Portugal squad.
- All-time nice benched in knockout rounds
- Wide range calls made by Santos
- Celebrity ahead now has a brand new membership
WHAT HAPPENED? The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was dropped for a last-16 showdown with Switzerland in Qatar, earlier than remaining among the many substitutes for a shock quarter-final defeat to Morocco. Ronaldo had beforehand hung out out of favour at Manchester United, earlier than seeing his contract terminated at Previous Trafford, and Silva says worldwide team-mates of the legendary frontman “suspected” that wide selection calls can be made within the Center East.
WHAT THEY SAID: Manchester Metropolis playmaker Silva has informed Report of a call involving Ronaldo that “was not unusual”: “Between us we talked and requested ‘might or not it’s, wouldn’t it not be?’, as a result of the gamers speak. However we solely discovered concerning the crew within the locker room once we arrived on the stadium, two hours earlier than the sport. There are 26 gamers, too many for the coach to decide on for every particular sport. It by no means shocks me that he decides to go along with one or the opposite. Proper or improper within the opinion of every one, the coach has the appropriate to make the choices he makes.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ronaldo stays the all-time main goalscorer within the historical past of males’s worldwide soccer, with 118 efforts recorded throughout 196 appearances for Portugal, however – with Fernando Santos having stepped down as coach – it stays to be seen what number of extra outings will probably be taken in at that degree.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT? Ronaldo has not introduced his worldwide retirement, with Euro 2024 subsequent on the agenda, and has taken on a brand new problem at membership degree after agreeing a profitable contract with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.