Portugal outclassed Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16 on Wednesday (December 6) where it was Ronaldo's replacement who made headlines with a hat-trick. Ronaldo's partner Georgina Rodriguez was in solidarity with him as the Portuguese superstar did not make the cut in the starting XI in the team’s win to advance to quarter-final stage.
Ronaldo's omission came after he was unhappy with being substituted during Portugal's game against South Korea.
Georgina, who was present in the stadium to root for the 37-year-old, took to Instagram and left a message that hinted at criticism of the decision to bench Ronaldo.
“Congratulations Portugal. While the 11 players sang the anthem, all eyes were on you. What a shame not to have been able to enjoy the best player in the world for 90 minutes,” wrote Georgina.
“The fans did not stop asking for you and shouting your name. May God and your dear friend (Bruno) Fernando continue to hand in hand and make us vibrate one more night.”
Meanwhile, Portugal manager Fernando Santos cleared the air that there is no beef between him and Ronaldo and the issues have been resolved and he will always have a close relationship with the star striker.
It hailed goals for Portugal as they made easy work of the knockout game against Switzerland. A hat-trick by 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos and strikes from Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro and Rafael Leao propelled Portugal to progress to the quarterfinals where they will face unbeaten Morocco.
Ronaldo came on as a substitute in the 74th minute for hat-trick hero Goncalo Ramos. Few chances were created but Ronaldo could not find the back of the net in a high-scoring game.
"I think those issues [with Ronaldo] have been solved. I repeat myself from my previous press conference, it is something which is finished and solved," Santos was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"We have to look at this player's history, one of the best players in the world in terms of his goals scored and a captain. Therefore, I think all we have to do is think about the team collectively. I have a very close relationship with him and always have, since he was 19 years old at Sporting. Then he started to develop in the national squad, this relationship only developed. We never misinterpret the human and personal aspect with that of manager and player. I will always consider my role that he is a very important player to have in the team," concluded the coach.
