Cristiano Ronaldo Shock World Cup Exit Dominates Twitter as Portugal Falls to Morocco
Dec 10, 2022
DOHA, QATAR - DECEMBER 10: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 quarter final match between Morocco and Portugal at Al Thumama Stadium on December 10, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal were knocked out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar by Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
The loss ended a tough stretch of games for Ronaldo. He did not score a goal from open play in Qatar; his lone strike came on a penalty in the group opener against Ghana.
Ronaldo was benched for the second straight game. He entered in the 51st minute and did not offer much until a half-chance near the end of the game.
Would have never imagined Ronaldo getting benched in a World Cup Round of 16 and Quarter final game. Really is the end man 😪
Portugal might have stood a chance if Ronaldo wasn't unfairly benched; Santos actually made a bad call. That said, congrats to Morocco on winning the match & being the first African team to qualify for the World Cup semifinal. Wishing 'em nothing but the best in their next game.
Ronaldo scored four times against Bono back in a La Liga game back in 2018, when the current Morocco keeper was at Girona and the now Portugal sub was at Real Madrid. Different times etc.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has failed to score in all eight of his knockout stage appearances at the World Cup (inc. third place play-off), going 570 minutes without scoring and taking 27 shots in the process.
It’s the end for Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup. The Portuguese leaves the pitch in tears on his last appearance ever in the World Cup. 🚨🇵🇹 #Ronaldo#Qatar2022pic.twitter.com/fWLC6YN0Wj
If that was Ronaldo's last game for Portugal, he leaves with a long legacy despite not winning the World Cup. He was part of the team that won Euro 2016 and scored 118 goals in 197 appearances—a record men's international goals total
The rest of the World Cup semi finalist field will be filled out on Saturday. England and France square off in the marquee matchup of the knockout round....
Morocco will try to keep its improbable underdog run at the 2022 FIFA World Cup alive on Saturday against Portugal. Morocco topped a group with Croatia and...
Portugal Denies Rumor Cristiano Ronaldo Wants to Leave World Cup Before Quarterfinal
Dec 8, 2022
LUSAIL, QATAR - DECEMBER 06: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Switzerland at Lusail Stadium on December 6, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Getty Images)
The Portuguese Football Federation has denied reports that Cristiano Ronaldo planned to leave the national team after learning he was out of the starting lineup in the round of 16.
"News released this Thursday reports that Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the national team during a conversation with Fernando Santos, national coach," the organization said in a statement, via the Guardian. "The FPF clarifies that at no time did the captain of the national team, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the internship in Qatar."
Santos dropped Ronaldo as a starter for the match against Switzerland, which Portugal won 6-1. Portuguese newspaper Record (h/t Oli Gamp of the Daily Mail) reported the veteran responded by holding tense talks with Santos and wanted to leave the team before the end of the World Cup.
The national team says that is not the case and that Ronaldo has an "unquestionable degree of commitment to the national team."
Ronaldo started each of the three group-stage matches for Portugal, scoring one goal on a penalty kick. The squad had two wins and a loss, scoring six goals while winning the group.
Santos opted for a different lineup in the round of 16, replacing the 37-year-old striker with 21-year-old Gonçalo Ramos. The decision paid off as Ramos tallied a hat trick in a dominant victory as Portugal reached the quarterfinals.
Ronaldo was subbed on in the 73rd minute but did not score.
Though Portugal denies the rumors that surround Ronaldo, he has had conflicts with his coaches in recent months.
The superstar was visibly frustrated when he was subbed off in the 65th minute in the 2-1 loss to South Korea in the group stage.
"I didn't like it. Didn't like it at all," Santos said of Ronaldo's reaction after the match. "From there, it's things you sort out internally."
Manchester United also terminated his contract by mutual agreement during the World Cup after he criticized club manager Erik ten Hag in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Portugal will hope Ronaldo and the rest of the team can focus on the task at hand when they face Morocco on Saturday.
World Cup 2022 Scores: Tuesday's Round-of-16 Results and Quarterfinals Schedule
Dec 6, 2022
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 06: Goncalo Ramos (C) of Portugal celebrates after scoring his team's fifth goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Switzerland at Lusail Stadium on December 06, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Markus Gilliar - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images)
The 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals field is made up of seven regulars on the men’s international soccer scene and one underdog determined to make one of the biggest surprise runs in tournament history.
Portugal was the seventh favored side to win a round-of-16 match, as it thumped Switzerland 6-1 on Tuesday afternoon.
Portugal scored five of its goals without Cristiano Ronaldo on the field, a move that worked out better than manager Fernando Santos could have imagined.
Morocco will be Portugal’s quarterfinal opponent. The Atlas Lions are the only team left from outside Europe and South America in Qatar.
Morocco used its fantastic defense to force a penalty shootout with Spain. La Roja missed three of their PKs, while Morocco made three of its four spot kicks to advance.
Morocco 0 (3), Spain 0 (0)
Morocco continued its remarkable run in Qatar by becoming the fourth-ever African side, and first since 2010, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Achraf Hakimi finished off the victory with a cheeky finish past Unai Simón.
Spain, as expected, dominated the possession battle, but it was wasteful in the final third. La Furia Roja attempted 13 shots, but only one of those attempts went on target.
The arrivals of Alvaro Morata and Pablo Sarabia did not help the Spanish, as Morocco remained firm in defense.
Morocco defended well for 120 minutes, like it has all tournament long. The Atlas Lions have not allowed a goal to an opposing player. Canada forced an own goal off them in the group stage.
Before Qatar, Morocco reached the round of 16 at the World Cup once in 1986. It has not gotten past the quarterfinals at the African Cup of Nations since it was runner-up in 2004.
Morocco will once again be a hefty underdog on Saturday when it goes head-to-head with another European side within close proximity of its borders in Portugal.
Portugal 6, Switzerland 1
Portugal turned in its best performance in Qatar without Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup. Ronaldo’s replacement, Gonçalo Ramos, turned in the breakout game of his young international career.
Ramos, who plays for Benfica in the Portuguese league, produced a hat trick to power Portugal into the final eight.
Ramos scored his first World Cup goal in the 17th minute by blasting a shot over Yann Sommer. The Swiss goalkeeper looked bewildered that the shot went over him from such a close angle.
Switzerland managed one goal in a very brief comeback attempt. Manuel Akanji tapped in from close range in the 58th minute.
The Swiss have now been knocked out in the round of 16 in five of their last six World Cup appearances dating back to 1994.
Quarterfinal Schedule
Friday, December 9
Brazil vs. Croatia (10 am ET, Fox)
Netherlands vs. Argentina (2 pm ET, Fox)
Saturday, December 10
Morocco vs. Portugal (10 am ET, Fox)
England vs. France (2 pm ET, Fox)
Cristiano Ronaldo Mocked After Benching as Portugal Tops Switzerland at World Cup
Dec 6, 2022
LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - DECEMBER 06: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal looks on from the bench during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Switzerland at Lusail Stadium on December 06, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Mike Hewitt - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Portugal is a better football team without Cristiano Ronaldo, and the only person who doesn't seem to know that is Ronaldo himself.
Harsh or not, it was the general sentiment after Portugal blasted Switzerland on Tuesday 6-1 in round-of-16 play at the World Cup. Ronaldo didn't start in the game and wasn't subbed on until the 72nd minute, while his replacement in the starting 11, Gonçalo Ramos, notched a hat trick and added an assist.
And yet, Ronaldo was the storyline. Without him, Portugal looked like a legitimate contender to win a World Cup title, brushing aside the dangerous Swiss with relative ease.
Unsurprisingly, football Twitter had a field day dunking on Ronaldo after the match:
Hard to see Ronaldo reclaiming his place, with Ramos scoring again. Offers everything Ronaldo currently doesn’t. Superb movement and another clinical finish #POR#FIFAWorldCup2022
Turns out Portugal are loads better without Ronaldo. Imagine if he had honest people around him rather than a load of sycophants… then he could be a decent option as a sub when needed.
Ronaldo's role as a sub was deserved on more than one level. It obviously was the correct tactical move, given the result, but he also earned the ire of manager Fernando Santos after he appeared to say, "He's in a rush to sub me" while unhappily leaving the pitch as part of a 65th-minute change during Friday's 2-1 loss to South Korea.
"On the pitch, I didn't hear anything," Santos told reporters this week of the incident. "I was too far, and this is why I only saw him arguing with a South Korean player, and nothing else."
"Have I already watched the footage? Yes. I didn't like it," he continued. "Didn't like it at all. From there, it's things you sort out internally. It was sorted out this way, and now we think about the game tomorrow. Everyone is focused on the game."
And yet Ronaldo is undoubtedly a legend of the game and the most important player in Portugal's history, so keeping him out of the starting lineup for a knockout-phase game was no small decision. Even if it felt like the correct move, it was still shocking.
It has to be Santos' approach going forward, however. Portugal was a buzzsaw without Ronaldo, a player who still has a goal in him but is little more than a poacher at this point in his career. He simply doesn't offer the dynamic movement or pressing that Ramos brings to the table, making Portugal far more static when he's on the pitch.
Time spares no man. It's a lesson that can be hard to face for once-elite athletes in particular. But on Tuesday, it was abundantly clear that the 37-year-old's time as Portugal's centerpiece is well and truly over.
Cristiano Ronaldo Reportedly Hasn't Made a Decision on $500M Al-Nassr Contract
Dec 6, 2022
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the pitch after being substituted during the World Cup group H soccer match between South Korea and Portugal, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan , Qatar, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't yet agreed to a deal with Saudi club Al-Nassr, according to ESPN's Adriana Garcia.
Spanish newspaper Marca reported Monday that Ronaldo would join Al-Nassr on Jan. 1 after he struck a bargain on a two-and-a-half-year contract worth around $500 million.
However, Garcia reported the five-time Ballon d'Or winner "has not signed anything with any club," though Al-Nassr is the only team to make a formal offer to this point.
Ronaldo is a free agent after he and Manchester United agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect in November. It brought an end to a turbulent second spell at Old Trafford.
The fact United preferred to simply release him altogether rather than wait until the January transfer window and his subsequent inability to land with another European club illustrate how far the 37-year-old's stock has fallen.
Ronaldo might be hoping a strong World Cup will entice a Champions League side or one that at least has ambitions of reaching Europe in 2023-24.
If that's the case, then his plan isn't working out.
Portugal advanced to the round of 16, where it faces Switzerland on Tuesday, but its captain hasn't been integral to those efforts. His only goal of the tournament so far came from the penalty spot, and he was notably subbed off in the 64th minute of a 2-1 loss to South Korea in the group stage.
Coach Fernando Santos subsequently criticized how Ronaldo reacted to being removed from the match. Perhaps tellingly, Santos didn't confirm whether he'll start the veteran forward against the Swiss.
It's tough to see a return to high-level European soccer for Ronaldo at this point, so he might have little choice but to accept the Al-Nassr offer if he wants to continue playing competitively.
The second round of competition in the 2022 World Cup wraps up Tuesday with two intriguing match-ups featuring what, on the surface, should be fairly obvious...
Cristiano Ronaldo's Reaction to Portugal Sub Ripped by Coach: 'I Didn't Like It'
Dec 5, 2022
AL RAYYAN, QATAR - DECEMBER 02: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts as they are substituted during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Group H match between Korea Republic and Portugal at Education City Stadium on December 02, 2022 in Al Rayyan, Qatar. (Photo by Hector Vivas - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Portugal manager Fernando Santos did not appreciate Cristiano Ronaldo's frustration at being subbed off in the 65th minute during Friday's 2-1 loss to South Korea.
"On the pitch, I didn't hear anything," he told reporters. "I was too far, and this is why I only saw him arguing with a South Korean player, and nothing else.
"Have I already watched the footage? Yes. I didn't like it," Santos continued. "Didn't like it at all. From there, it's things you sort out internally. It was sorted out this way, and now we think about the game tomorrow. Everyone is focused on the game."
Per ESPN's Rob Dawson, Ronaldo appeared to say, "He's in a rush to sub me" while he walked off the pitch.
Ronaldo and South Korea's Gue-sung Cho then got into a verbal altercation as the Portugal forward left the match.
"What happened was before my substitution, the South Korea player told me to get off quickly," Ronaldo told reporters afterward. "I told him to shut up as he doesn't have that authority. There was no disagreement [with the coach]."
Santos spoke about the interaction following the match as well:
"The player from Korea was insulting him telling him to go away, so that is the reason why he was angry, everyone saw that. I saw the interaction with the Korea player and I don't have any doubts about it and if you see the images you see Pepe went towards the Korea player. He was not aggressive, he was only verbally aggressive, he was speaking in English to Cristiano, and Cristiano said, 'Perhaps he had a bad day.'"
Ronaldo, 37, has made a habit of angering his managers this season, leaving a trail of discontent at Manchester United before the two sides parted ways leading into the World Cup.
"I don't have respect for [Manchester United manager] Erik ten Hag because he doesn't show respect for me," Ronaldo told Piers Morgan in an explosive interview in November. "If you don't have respect for me, I will never have any for you."
That interview appeared to be Ronaldo's boldest attempt to force a move away from United. He previously left during the second half of a preseason friendly and refused to enter an October match against Tottenham as a second-half substitute, among other confrontational actions.
Ronaldo got his wish at the club level. But his relationship with Santos, in what likely will be the veteran striker's final World Cup tournament, will be under the microscope as Portugal prepare for a matchup against Switzerland on Tuesday in the round of 16.
