Portugal will as soon as once more begin with out Cristiano Ronaldo within the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final match in opposition to Morocco on Saturday on the Al Thumama Stadium as supervisor Fernando Santos named an unchanged XI. Portugal might be aiming to achieve the semi-final for the second time of their World Cup historical past, and first since 2006.
That is the second time Ronaldo has been benched on this World Cup match after Goncalo Ramos was picked forward of him for the Spherical of 16 match in opposition to Switzerland the place the later scored the competitors’s solely ever hat-trick to this point in Portugal’s thumping 6-1 win.
After the match, studies circulated that there was a rift between Ronaldo and the staff and that the veteran footballer threatened to depart the World Cup marketing campaign halfway. Portugal Soccer squashed the rumours earlier than Santos broke his silence on the matter.
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“Sure we did have a dialog, and it could be very unhealthy if we did not have this. Since I took the helm of the nationwide staff we have to speak and have a relationship with gamers, it is regular, that is my method, to have an in depth relationship,” Santos stated, enjoying down the controversy, through the presser forward of Morocco match.
“I defined to him that it was higher for the technique that he would not begin, and that it was higher for him to play within the second half.
“Cristiano was not blissful about it. He has at all times been a beginning participant. He requested ‘do you assume it is a good suggestion?'”
Right here is Portugal’s beginning XI for quarter-final match in opposition to Morocco: Diogo Costa, Dalot, Pepe, Rúben Dias, R. Guerreiro, Rúben Neves, Otávio, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix, Gonçalo Ramos.
Speaking concerning the match, Portugal will tackle Morocco within the first quarter-final match on Saturday with France versus England being the ultimate tie. Argentina and Croatia have already booked their semi-final berth after respective wins through penalties on Friday. The 2018 runners-up shocked Brazil earlier than Argentina beat Netherlands.