"Well and truly washed" - Fans feel Portugal look 'million times scarier' without Cristiano Ronaldo after 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland
Fans are claiming that Portugal are a much better side without Cristiano Ronaldo after they beat Switzerland 6-1 in their FIFA World Cup last 16 meeting.
Selecao das Quinas boss Fernando Santos' decision to drop the legendary forward to the bench sent shockwaves around the football world.
Many were debating whether the Portuguese coach had made the right choice after a disappointing run of form for Ronaldo.
He notched just one goal in the tournament, a penalty in a 3-2 victory over Ghana.
Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos came in as his replacement and stole the show.
The 21-year-old scored an incredible hat-trick—the first any player has managed at the FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, Portugal's stand-in skipper for the night, Pepe, 39, Borussia Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro, and AC Milan's Rafael Leao were also on the scoresheet.
Manuel Akanji hit back for the Swiss, but it was mere consolation in a game where the Portuguese ran riot.
Cristiano Ronaldo was introduced into the fray in the 72nd minute, but all the plaudits were already heading the way of Ramos.
Questions are now being asked about whether or not Selecao das Quinas are better off without the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
Alongside this, some Manchester United fans point out that Erik ten Hag was criticized for dropping the iconic striker.
Here are some reactions from supporters on Twitter:
If England end up facing Portugal, I hope they play Ronaldo. Else we’re screwed 😂😂😂
Ronaldo watching this Ramos masterclass from the bench https://t.co/B4q6ftuWp1
Ramos replaced Ronaldo and now has more World Cup knockout goals than him in his first ever World Cup start 😭😭😭😭
Ronaldo you are well and truly washed twitter.com/theeuropeanlad…
I've genuinely never seen a player that brings down the performance level of a team as much as this washed version of Ronaldo
A first hat-trick of the World Cup - scored by Portugal’s Gonçalo Ramos. A player Newcastle scouted & showed interest in last summer. And what a hat-trick it is. Cristiano Ronaldo who? #NUFC
Ten Hag doesn’t seem so crazy apparently, getting benched on the biggest international stage in a must win knockout game is insane…
It's almost like when you drop Ronaldo it makes you a better team.
This Portugal side without Ronaldo looks a million times scarier. #POR
Unfortunately for Ronaldo, ManUtd looked better without him in the starting 11. And so do Portugal 😬
Ronaldo when he makes it 6-1. https://t.co/osHBYHGrEb
Look how easily Portugal is winning now without Ronaldo holding them back.
If this game was 0-0 up until the 90th minute and Ronaldo finally managed to tap 1 in then people would be fooled into believing that he saved them.
That was Man Utd in 21/22.
Cristiano Ronaldo is still eyeing Portugal legend Eusebio's FIFA World Cup record
Cristiano Ronaldo must have been chomping at the bit while on the bench to break a much-desired record held by Portuguese icon Eusebio.
The Benfica great scored nine goals during the 1966 FIFA World Cup, a record for any Portugal player.
Ronaldo is one goal shy of Eusebio's record and spoke before the tournament in Qatar about his eagerness to break the record.
He said:
"It's a good challenge, I respect Eusebio, it's something that all the Portguese keep in their heart. He's an unbelievable person but if you have the opportunity, if you have the chance, I think Eusebio will be happy (smiles)."
The former Real Madrid attacker scored his first FIFA World Cup goal in 2006.
He then scored one in the 2010 tournament, another in the 2014 competition, and four in 2018, including a memorable hat-trick against Spain.
Cristiano Ronaldo's eighth World Cup goal for Portugal came against Ghana in game week one of this year's edition.
One record he has set is that he became the first player in history to score in five separate FIFA World Cup tournaments.