On Tuesday night, Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal faced Switzerland in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. To everyone's surprise, Portugal boss Fernando Santos benched Ronaldo for this crucial encounter. The 37-year-old was not named to the starting lineup, and Gancalo Ramos was given his first start in his place.
The 21-year-old delivered by scoring a hat-trick in his team's 6-1 victory over the Swiss at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Ronaldo, who did not start a game for Portugal in a major tournament for the first time since 2008, came off the bench in the 73rd minute but had little influence. He once found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed owing to an offside call in the buildup.
After the game, Ronaldo's girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, shared a picture on Instagram in which she slammed Portugal coach Fernando Santos for benching him.
"Portugal, congratulations. All goals were placed on you as the 11 players performed the national anthem. It's too bad he didn't get to see the best player in the world for 90 minutes. Fans are still claiming you and yelling your name. I pray to God and your wonderful buddy Fernando to hold hands and keep us buzzing for one more night," she wrote.
After the Round of 16 encounter, Portugal's manager spoke about his choice to rest Ronaldo for the crucial knockout match, saying it was "strategic and nothing more."
"Cristiano and Ramos are different players. There is no problem with the captain of the national team," Santos said.
With the victory over Switzerland, Portugal advanced to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2006. They will play Morocco in their next match on Saturday (December 10).
READ| Why Cristiano Ronaldo was not included in Portugal's playing XI against Switzerland
