When he looked to the edge of the pitch and saw his number appear on the substitutions board, Cristiano Ronaldo exploded with rage.
There were still 30 minutes to go, plus stoppage time for the match against South Korea, in the last round of the group stage, when Fernando Santos decided to remove the Portuguese captain.
He handed the armband to Portuguese-Brazilian defender Pepe and was caught on official FIFA footage saying something along the lines of “what a fucking hurry to get me out.”
It was yet another controversy for the number 7 list in Qatar. In what should be his last World Cup, it has been like this since the days leading up to the Portuguese debut in the competition.
This time, not even the Portuguese coach put hot cloths. “If I ever saw [a reação dele no jogo]🇧🇷 Saw. Did I like it? Anything. I didn’t like it at all.”
On the eve of the confrontation with Switzerland this Tuesday (6), for the quarterfinals, at 4 pm (BrasÃlia time), in Lusail, the commander avoided nailing the striker as a starter. “I’ll put the team that I think has to play the game.”
It would be a big surprise, however, if the player loses his position in the team even though he is no longer the unanimity he used to be.
The Portuguese newspaper A Bola conducted a poll on Cristiano Ronaldo’s lineup and, according to the publication, 70% of fans believe he should start the game with the Swiss on the bench.
The newspaper did not disclose the number of participants in the poll, so it is not possible to know the size of the sample, but the percentage draws attention because it is the number 7 shirt, the greatest idol in the country and responsible for changing the level of the Portuguese national team.
It was with him that the nation managed to win the first two titles in its history, Euro 2016 and the Nations League 2019.
In the Euro campaign, curiously, he also started the competition questioned, at the time, for his bad performances. In his debut, against Iceland, he was canceled out in the 1-1 draw. In the next round, he missed a penalty in the 0-0 against Austria.
He only took off after the third match, when he scored two goals in the 3-3 draw with Hungary, a result that classified Portugal for the next stage as third in its group —he also became the first player to score in four editions of the competition. Euro.
From there, he became the hero of the conquest. He gave his blood for the team even when he couldn’t play, like in the decision against France. He was injured in the 24th minute and left the pitch in tears.
But he didn’t hold back on the bench. Committed to helping the team, he acted almost as a second coach alongside Fernando Santos. The fans recognized his role, especially when it came to giving confidence to striker Éder, who entered at the end of the game and heard from the number 7 shirt the prophecy that he would score the winning goal. He was.
In Qatar, this leadership role has been less notable. On the contrary, Cristiano Ronaldo has caused more problems than solutions for the team.
His troubled departure from Manchester United, on the eve of the start of the World Cup, contaminated the Lusitanian squad during preparation in the Middle East.
While the team tried to focus on the search for the unprecedented title, the player’s dispute with the English club dominated the headlines of newspapers in Europe and reverberated among the Portuguese athletes in Al Shahaniya, where the delegation is staying.
The barrage of questions about the subject made the other players uncomfortable.
It even caused discomfort with midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who, in addition to being the striker’s teammate in the national team, is also a United athlete. Despite the problem, the two showed good harmony in the games against Ghana and Uruguay.
Against the Africans, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in five World Cups. Against the South Americans, Bruno scored the two winning goals.
With the advance classification for the round of 16, the situation seemed to be circumvented. The scenario only changed, again, because of Cristiano Ronaldo himself.
The intemperate reaction after the substitution in the game with Korea put in check his ability to unite the group around the goal of winning the World Cup.
All of this precisely at an unprecedented moment in the star’s career. For the first time, he competes in a World Cup as unemployed.
Since the termination with Manchester United, there have been no formal offers from major clubs in Europe. For now, only teams from alternative centers are trying to sign the player.
According to the Spanish newspaper Marca, he would be on his way to sign with Al-Nassr, from Saudi Arabia.
Despite the good financial offer, sportingly it is not what the player expected. In the last transfer window, for example, he tried unsuccessfully to leave United because the team is not playing in the Champions League this season.
If he doesn’t have a good campaign in Qatar, especially in the decisive match against the Swiss, the scenario for him should be even more difficult.
At the age of 37, Cristiano Ronaldo is struggling to avoid a melancholy end to his career, away from the big stages of world football.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
