'Round of 16 Exit' Portugal Coach Santos: "No Regrets About Leaving Ronaldo Out of Starting Lineup"

Cristiano Ronaldo in despair

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] Fernando Santos (68), the coach of Portugal who was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, stated that he does not regret the decision not to start Cristiano Ronaldo (37, Free Agent).

On the 11th (Korean time), Portugal lost 0-1 to Morocco in the quarterfinals of the Qatar World Cup held at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, conceding the winning goal to Youssef En-Nesyri (25, Sevilla). With this, Portugal's quest for the championship ended at the quarterfinals. Portugal's best historical achievement was third place at the 1966 England World Cup, their first appearance in the finals.

After the match, when asked by reporters whether he regretted the decision to exclude Ronaldo from the starting lineup, Coach Santos said, "No, I do not regret it," adding, "We were a team that fought very well against Switzerland. Ronaldo is an excellent player and was brought in when needed."

Ronaldo was not included in the starting lineup throughout this tournament. In the round of 16 against Switzerland, he was substituted in at the 74th minute but failed to score. In the quarterfinals, he was brought on at the 51st minute and finished the match without scoring.

Although Ronaldo holds the record for the most appearances in men's international A matches (196), he ended his fifth World Cup without any titles and was seen shedding tears alone as he headed to the locker room after the game.

Ronaldo's girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez (28), who came to the stadium to support him, stated on social media, "Today, your teammates and coach made the wrong decision. We saw how the situation changed when Ronaldo was brought on, but it was too late," adding, "The world's best player should not be underestimated."