“The Pain of Having Being Benched…” – Cristiano Ronaldo’s Motives Questioned Over Beef With Fernando Santos After Portugal NT Coach Defends His Decision

Cristiano Ronaldo did not have the best of the World Cups in 2022 in Qatar with the national team. The manager Fernando Santos decided to bench him for the important games and the team ended up losing the quarterfinal against Morocco. On top of it, Santos also confirmed that Ronaldo has not talked to him after the tournament. Now, a soccer analyst has chimed in questioning his choice not to talk with his former coach.

The Al Nassr star is currently enjoying his time in Saudi Arabia. He is also on a great scoring spree for the national team under new manager Roberto Martinez. It looks like Ronaldo is trying his best to forget the tournament debacle and look forward to what the future holds for him with his club and national team.

Ronaldo’s beef with Fernando Santos after the World Cup debacle criticized

Fernando Santos made the shocking decision to bench their captain and main man Cristiano Ronaldo in the 2022 World Cup for the games against Switzerland and Morocco. They won the game against Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16. However, in the quarter-final against Morocco, Portugal suffered a 1-0 shock defeat to end their World Cup journey. Many questioned the decision of  Santos to bench a legend and game-changer like Ronaldo. The Portugal Federation also sacked him after the tournament. In a recent interview, Santos has made a revelation that the Al Nassr star has not talked to him since the tournament, while continuing to defend his decision to bench Ronaldo.

ESPN analyst Julien Laurens has reacted to his statement by saying, “I think the pain of having been benched in the World Cup and the way the World Cup ended overall, I think for Cristiano, which was always going to be his last one as well, would have hurt him, I’m sure, but is that enough to ruin or stop a relationship that has been going on for many years between him and Santos? They like they were really, really special; they had a special bond; they won the Euros together.”

After the incident, Cristiano Ronaldo also made the decision to leave Manchester United on a free transfer in January. He chose to begin a new chapter at Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. After the move, a lot has changed positively for his national team career. The arrival of Roberto Martinez as manager has also helped.

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A lot has changed for the Portuguese star player after the World Cup disaster

Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to join the Saudi League has brought positive changes to his national career. After his move to Al Nassr, the Portuguese star forward has scored 29 goals and provided 11 assists in 35 matches. This remarkable form has also helped him on the national team. The new Portugal manager Roberto Martinez also made it clear that the Al Nassr star features in his long-term plans. Ronaldo scored 7 goals in 9 matches in the Euros qualifier, after Martinez took charge.

This has also made Portugal one of the top contenders to win the Euros next year. Currently, there are rumors that the Portuguese star wants to sign a contract with Al Nassr until 2027. This clearly indicates that he is putting himself in contention for the 2026 World Cup. If Ronaldo continues to retain the same form, there is no doubt he will lead the team in his 6th World Cup. However, the main target at the moment should be to do well and try and win the 2024 Euros.

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Be that as it may, Ronaldo has also been showing signs of slowing down at the age of 38. So the big question is can Ronaldo win the Euros 2024 with the national team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.