"Our king has to get better" - Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo sends heartfelt message to Pele after Switzerland win
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo sent a heartfelt message to Pele that he 'must get better' following the Brazilian legend's recent health scare, while calling him 'our king'.
The Selecao clincally demolished Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday (December 6) to set-up a last-eight clash with Morocco on Saturday.
Ronaldo was dropped from the starting lineup for the game and only came on as a substitute midway through the second half but failed to make a contribution. However, after the game, he sent a message of support for Pele, who is currently recovering in hospital, as he hoped for the legend's quick recovery.
Brazil fans sending their support to Pele 🙏 https://t.co/f8aPFSRchd
The 37-year-old said (via UOL):
"Get better; get better for Pelé. Our King has to get better. That's all we want."
On Saturday, Pele was moved to end-of-life care at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo after he stopped responding to chemotherapy. He has been undergoing treatment for colon cancer, having had a tumour removed last year.
Just days later, Pele allayed all fears of a serious health condition by putting out a message on Instagram, where he thanked everyone from around the globe for their good wishes.
One of the greatest players of all time, Pele holds the record of winning three FIFA World Cups.
He's also the youngest scorer in the final after he struck a brace against Sweden at just 17 in the 1958 edition. Pele is believed to have scored over 1,000 goals for club and country, although official figures say 757 goals in 812 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal march into 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals
Portugal produced their best performance of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to thrash Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16 on Tuesday and set up a quarterfinal clash with Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo was a spectator for most of the game, as he started from the bench. Manager Fernando Santos made the bold decision to drop him from their starting line-up, and the decision reaped rich dividends.
🍿
MOROCCO VS. PORTUGAL IN THE QUARTERFINALS 👀🍿 https://t.co/72W6m6gpsY
Ronaldo's replacement, Goncalo Ramos, netted the Qatar showpiece's first hat-trick in what was the 21-year-old's first World Cup appearance.
The Nati proved to be no match for rampant Portugal, who demonstrated their frightening potential to secure their biggest victory in the competition since a 7-0 thrashing of North Korea in South Africa in 2010.
Up next for Portugal are Morocco in a tricky fixture, with the Atlas Lions having not conceded to their opponents so far. Canada benefitted from an own goal in their 2-1 defeat to Morroco in the group stage.