Cristiano Ronaldo opted to leave the pitch before his Portugal teammates, who stayed behind to celebrate their round of 16 victory with the fans at the stadium.
Fernando Santos opted to leave the 37-year-old on the bench against Switzerland and, although the manager would not confirm his reasoning, it is believed to have been due to Ronaldo’s reaction to being substituted against South Korea last week.
His decision paid off though, as 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos took Ronaldo’s place in the starting line-up and scored a hat-trick in his first World Cup start. He also became the youngest player to score three goals in a knockout match since Pelé.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made a brief cameo appearance in the closing stages of the match, but failed to make a statement in front of goal.
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Ronaldo leaves early
He was then seen heading out ahead of his teammates as they enjoyed the victory with the supporters.
Cristiano Ronaldo (on the left of the image) walks upright as his teammates celebrate with the fans. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/W7jB6iGQOO
— Adrian Del Monte (@adriandelmonte) December 6,
