The noise inside the stadium was deafening when Cristiano Ronaldo was subbed on vs Switzerland
Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped for Portugal’s World Cup triumph against Switzerland on Tuesday evening.
The Portuguese superstar has not been at his best during the tournament in Qatar.
And Portugal boss Fernando Santos decided to name him on the bench for the last 16 match at Lusail Stadium.
Ronaldo’s replacement, Goncalo Santos, went on to have a stormer.
The 21-year-old scored a hat-trick – the first of the tournament – in what was an incredible individual display.
Pepe, Raphaël Guerreiro and Rafael Leao were also on the scoresheet as Portugal thrashed their opponents 6-1.
Ronaldo given incredible reception during Portugal vs Switzerland
Those inside of the Lusail Stadium were calling for Ronaldo to be subbed on for much of the game.
Chants of ‘Ronaldo!’ even erupted at various points after half-time.
And, with Portugal cruising to victory in the 73rd minute, the fans calling for Ronaldo finally got their wish as Ronaldo entered the fray.
They couldn’t contain their excitement when those inside the stadium saw Ronaldo taking to the field.
The noise when Ronaldo replaced Joao Felix and took to the field was nothing short of deafening. View it below…
Cristiano Ronaldo’s reaction to the huge roar of the fans just before substituting on 73′ from soccer
Ronaldo couldn’t keep the smile off his face when he heard the crowd’s roar.
Pepe deserves credit too. The 39-year-old defender made sure to give Ronaldo the captain’s armband just before he took to the pitch.
The 37-year-old managed to find the back of the net during his time on the pitch but, unfortunately for him, his effort was ruled out for offside.
Who do Portugal play in the quarter-finals?
Portugal now have to be considered serious contenders to win it all in Qatar.
They will now face Morocco in the last 16. The north African giants stunned Spain in their last 16 tie as they emerged victorious on penalties.
Portugal will go into the match as favourites but Morocco have the quality needed to pull off another upset.
Will Ronaldo be restored to the starting lineup for the match? Probably not, given Ramos’ superb performance.
But the football legend will no doubt still play a huge role for Portugal going forward, both on and off the pitch.
