Despite not being named to Portugal’s starting lineup for Tuesday’s round of 16 match against Switzerland, ending a run of 18 straight World Cup starts dating back to 2006, the 37-year-old great put on a brave front before, during, and after his team’s dominant 6-1 triumph.

During the warmup, Ronaldo, who was wearing a yellow FIFA bib along with the rest of the Portuguese replacements, grinned and winked at fans. He joined the crowd after Gonçalo Ramos, his 21-year-old replacement in Santos’ starting XI, scored after only 17 minutes.

When 39-year-old central defender Pepe, his buddy and lifelong teammate with both the national team and Real Madrid, doubled the Seleço’s lead later in the first half with a rare strike — only his eighth in 132 appearances for his country — he appeared genuinely pleased.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo continue to sit on Portugal's bench as they advance?

 

Ronaldo, on the other hand, had to be angry.”I understand that people aren’t always happy, and we have to deal with that,” Santos told reporters after the game. “As I stated in my previous press conference, I believe those issues have been resolved. I said it before, and I’ll say it again. This is something that has been completed.”

We’ll see what happens.

Ronaldo, one of the greatest players of his time, has made it obvious for months, if not years, that he has no intention of retiring quietly.

He was so fed up with his lack of a starring role at Manchester United this season — he was still starting some games and coming off the bench in others, at least until he refused to play in a Premier League match in October — that he forced his way out in the middle of the season by publicly and deliberately torching the club’s owners and manager.

Indeed, Ronaldo had started each of Portugal’s first three games, and his petulant reaction to being substituted late in last week’s opening-round match against South Korea justifiably enraged his coach.

Santos stressed that benching Ronaldo against Switzerland was purely tactical, not punitive. That could be correct. At this stage in his illustrious career, Ronaldo is a premium player. Inside the penalty box, he is still the most effective finisher in the game. Outside of it, he can’t or won’t undertake the continual defensive running that all modern strikers must do.

“Cristiano’s more fixed now; he remains in one area and plays more into the box,” Santos stated. “Ramos has varied qualities. He has a vibrant approach to his possibilities.”

Nonetheless, it was a monumental decision.

 

Recommended: