After Portugal’s astounding 6-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the field alone as his teammates proceeded to congratulate them on an incredible performance.
After being benched by Fernando Santos, the Portuguese skipper made his way to the locker room on his own.
Prior to his introduction, Portugal had already jumped out to a 5-1 lead without him in the lineup, with his replacement Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick. This was the first time since Euro 2008 that he had started on the bench for his nation.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was undoubtedly the subject of much of the discussion regarding Portugal’s matchup in the round of 16 before to kickoff as controversy erupted over his exclusion from the team.
The audience cheered enthusiastically when Ronaldo entered the field.
The audience cheered enthusiastically when Ronaldo entered the field. Some, like Jamie Carragher, believed that his exclusion was due to his subpar results in the competition thus far. His lone goal, a penalty in the victory over Ghana, was the first by a male player at five World Cup competitions.