Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate Bruno Fernandes has broken his silence regarding the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's relegation to the Portugal bench at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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For the first time in the tournament, the former Manchester United star started a World Cup encounter from the bench during Portugal's 6-1 thumping of Switzerland in the round of 16. His replacement, Goncalo Ramos, managed to make a massive impression by bagging a hat-trick in the process.
Despite the 21-year-old's remarkable feat and A Selecao's emphatic victory, it was Ronaldo's absence from the starting XI that dominated the headlines, but Portugal playmaker Fernandes has leapt to his compatriot's defence after the 37-year-old was visibly unimpressed at only playing 23 minutes of that encounter.
"Do you think anyone likes to be on the bench?" Fernandes said when he was asked about Ronaldo's reaction after the game, as per the Daily Mirror.
"I don't think Cristiano would be happy. If the manager put me on the bench in the next game, I would be angry.
"We won the first two games with Cristiano in the first XI, and it could be that if Cristiano played, he could score three goals and no one would be speaking about Cristiano being on the bench.
"Cristiano is doing his job, he's doing his part, he's happy with the result because the goal for everyone is to go as far as possible.
"I don't think people should be talking about Cristiano and why he's not playing, because when Cristiano plays and the team wins, no one talks about that.
"When Cristiano plays and the team loses, everyone talks.
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"[He is] the most famous player in the world. No one is more famous than Cristiano in sports, not in football, in sports."
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