It has become a familiar scene. Football players collapsing on the grass when hearing the referee’s whistle blow signalling the end of a match and, ultimately, the end of a team’s World Cup bid.
While this scene can even be observed in football matches of less prominent competitions, the World Cup is where the most charged and defining moments happen and where thousands of cameras are there to capture and broadcast these critical and emotional moments.
Perhaps the most iconic moment of the 2022 World Cup was when Cristiano Ronaldo — one of the greatest and most famous footballers of all time — collapsed in tears on the field after being defeated by Morocco.
He was seen wailing as he exited the stadium.
Before Portugal lost, however, fans and pundits were wondering if the team’s coach, Fernando Santos, would keep Ronaldo on the bench as he did in the previous match with Switzerland — which resulted in a victory for Portugal but was also considered, rather paradoxically, a crushing defeat for Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has proven to be the most skilled and famous player in the sport of football. Going by statistics and awards, Ronaldo is the greatest player in the world, along with Lionel Messi of Argentina.
There is an unending debate about which one of these two football icons is more gifted, but this is subjective and based on personal preferences.
Fall from grace
However, many observers viewed Portugal’s victory against Switzerland as an official fall from grace for Ronaldo, who was benched and replaced by rising star Gonçalo Ramos.
When Ronaldo was dropped from the starting line-up against Switzerland, Santos had to justify his shocking decision to observers and fans alike — the entire world wanted to know why.
Portugal’s next face off was with Morocco — the team that had earned the nickname “killer of giants” due to its impressive victories against some of the best teams in the competition.
With such a critical game at stake, observers were demanding to know if Santos would again sideline Ronaldo. Given Ronald’s popularity, Santos could not remain silent for long. He had to justify his decision and give a hint of what would happen next.
He told reporters in a press conference that he spoke with Ronaldo after lunch on the day of the confrontation with Switzerland and informed him of his decision to keep him out of the starting line-up.
He admitted that Ronaldo was infuriated by his decision because he was not used to sitting on the bench — particularly in such high-stakes matches. Santos, however, denied that Ronaldo threatened to quit the national team, which had been widely reported in the media.
After the match against Switzerland, which ended in favour of Portugal thrashing Switzerland 6-1 and Ramos captivating fans with his “hat-trick” — a feat nearly impossible in such a high-level tournament like the World Cup, especially at such an advanced stage — speculation surfaced over a growing rift between Ronaldo and Santos.
This was fuelled by Ronaldo’s public protest after Santos dropped him from the starting line-up of Portugal’s previous match against South Korea.
Mixed reactions
Some saw Santos' move as a ‘disciplinary’ act or wake-up call issued to Ronaldo to restore his sense of responsibility and discipline. While the move seemed harsh, Portugal’s astonishing victory over Switzerland vindicated Santos to some degree.
