Defense of CR7: Portugal ruled out Cristiano Ronaldo’s alleged threat to abandon the national team

Full support for CR7. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) denied reports that Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the Qatar 2022 World Cup, after Fernando Santos decided not to include him in the starting team in the round of 16 match against Switzerland.

The player who has worn the Portugal shirt the most times was left on the bench against Switzerland, a game in which the Portuguese prevailed 6-1. His substitute, Gonçalo Ramos, scored a hat trick and Cristiano Ronaldo came on as a substitute late in the game.

“The FPF clarifies that the captain of the national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, did not threaten at any time to leave the national team in Qatar,” he said. the Federation. The FPF’s denial comes in response to an article in the Portuguese sports newspaper Record, which writes this Thursday that “Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave.”

According to Record, the player would have had a heated exchange with his coach after learning that he would start the game against Switzerland on the bench, which would have led him to say that he would leave the national team, before changing his mind and calming down.

“Cristiano Ronaldo builds a unique record every day at the service of the national team and the country, which must be respected and which demonstrates an indisputable degree of commitment to the team. Thus, the degree of commitment of the most successful player in the history of Portugal was even more demonstrated -if possible- in the victory against Switzerland, in the round of 16 of the World Cup”indicated the FPF.

Ronaldo has struggled to score since converting a penalty in the opening group game against Ghana, when he became the first player to score in five World Cups. Now, Portugal will face Morocco on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the tournament and Cristiano hopes to recover his best football.