Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo made his World Cup debut in 2006 as a 21-year-old star from Manchester United, he had been the undisputed face of the Portugal national team. They’d go as far as Ronaldo could take them.
Well, fast forward to 2022, and that’s not necessarily the case for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
With Portugal seeking a trip to the quarterfinal, head coach Fernando Santos made the hugely consequential decision to name a Starting XI for the Round of 16 match against Switzerland without Ronaldo a part of it.
While Santos’ call to move Ronaldo to the bench will be surprising to plenty of fans, it was a justifiable decision.
📰 𝔹ℝ𝔼𝔸𝕂𝕀ℕ𝔾 ℕ𝔼𝕎𝕊: Este é o nosso 11 Inicial para hoje! 👥🇵🇹 #VesteABandeira
This is our Starting 11 for today! 👥 #WearTheFlag pic.twitter.com/OiKlJU44O1
— Portugal (@selecaoportugal) December 6, 2022
Let’s break down why.
Ronaldo threw a tantrum after being subbed off
Sure, every player wants to stay on the field for as long as possible. But Santos was especially disappointed in how Ronaldo handled himself after being subbed off in the 65th minute of Portugal’s group stage defeat to South Korea.
Santos told reporters about Ronaldo:
“Have I already watched the footage? Yes. I didn’t like it. 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.”
He doesn’t have to be happy about getting subbed off. Still, there’s the expectation for a team leader to not undermine the manager, and Ronaldo failed in that regard.
He just hasn't been good this World Cup
At some point, you have to make a decision that helps the team. And while Ronaldo has put together a world-class career, he’s struggled this World Cup.
Ronaldo has yet to have a goal contribution from open play — his one goal this tournament coming on a penalty. And at times, he has limited Portugal on attack rather than being a dependable goal scorer as a No. 9.
"Probably a 100 people voted…He changes the game and dynamic offensively."@ochocinco reacts to a poll conducted by Portuguese newspaper A BOLA, where 70% of Portugal fans want to see Ronaldo benched against Switzerland ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EcRSh3CHrw
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 6, 2022
The Cristiano Ronaldo name can only take a 37-year-old so far. If Ronaldo had been performing well, Santos probably could have handled the South Korea incident without impacting Ronaldo’s playing time. But now Santos has cover to make that move.
The club situation hasn't helped
Cristiano started the World Cup campaign by effectively getting himself booted from Manchester United.
And a day before the Switzerland game, reports started circulating in Spanish media of Ronaldo’s intention of signing a massive $211 million per year contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr FC.
While other reports have pushed back against the Al-Nassr deal, the Portugal team probably wants a player to be focused on the task at hand: winning a World Cup.
We’ve seen plenty of players push aside shaky club situations and perform at the World Cup. Yet here, it’s difficult to not see Ronaldo’s club saga as anything but a distraction.
It’s not what Portugal needs right now.
