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Portugal Let Ronaldo Sit On The Bench While Joao Cancelo Is Also Absent For The World Cup Round Of 16 Clash With Switzerland

Portugal coach Fernando Santos left Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo on the bench against Switzerland in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
  • Portugal meets Switzerland in the round of 16
  • Ronaldo starts from the bench
  • There's no room for Cancelo in the starting lineup

WHAT HAPPENED?

Source: gettyimages

Portugal will be without Ronaldo in the match against Switzerland in the round of 16 match at the 2022 World Cup. The No. 7 was brought on from the bench by coach Fernando Santos in an important clash with Cancelo also absent.

IN THE BIGGER PICTURE: 

Source: gettyimages

The decision to remove Ronaldo was a big one for Santos and came after the coach admitted he was unhappy with the striker's reaction to being substituted in the match against South Korea. Santos said he "didn't like it at all" and now appears to have acted by leaving Ronaldo out.

PORTUGAL STARTING XI VS SWITZERLAND:

Diogo Costa, Diogo Dalot, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Raphael Guerreiro, William, Otavio, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix, Gonçalo Ramos.

DO YOU KNOW?

This will be the third meeting between Portugal and Switzerland in 2022, the two teams having faced each other twice in the UEFA Nations League in June. Portugal won 4-0 in the match in Lisbon, before Switzerland won 1-0 in Geneva a week later. But with the shock win of Marocco against Spain, nothing is impossible.

WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? 

Source: gettyimages

The 37-year-old hopes to make an impact from the bench in what could be his last World Cup appearance. Ronaldo has admitted that he hopes the tournament will be his last.
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