Cristiano Ronaldo will not start for Portugal for the first time in more than 30 games.
The move comes a day after his coach expressed his disappointment with his captain’s attitude in the previous game. Gonzalo Ramos, who plays for Portuguese club Benfica, started in place of Ronaldo at the Lusail Stadium.
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Amid the cheers, Ronaldo jogged to the field to warm up. After the starters, he came out on his own, led the bench players up and played with them, with a light touch.
After warming up, Ronaldo walked through the tunnel to the dressing room, stopping to take a group photo with the female volunteers. He bent down and put his arm around her for the photo.
Full-back Joao Cancelo, who started all three games in the group stage, was also kicked out of the starting lineup.
Ronald was substituted after showing apparent displeasure after being sent off against South Korea on Friday.
Associated Press
