Portugal dominated Switzerland on Tuesday night at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, finishing with a 6-1 victory. The team managed the feat without Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world's most famous soccer players, who was benched by Portugal coach Fernando Santos.
The decision to sit Ronaldo naturally led to criticism, despite the results. One of the more notable opponents of the move was Georgina Rodríguez, Ronaldo's longtime girlfriend.
The model voiced her displeasure on Instagram following Tuesday's match while praising Portugal for its victory.
"Congratulations Portugal. While the 11 players sang the anthem, all eyes were on you. What a shame not to have been able to enjoy the best player in the world for 90 minutes," Rodríguez wrote.
"The fans did not stop asking for you and shouting your name. May God and your dear friend Fernando continue hand in hand and make us vibrate one more night."
The latter part of Rodríguez's message could be interpreted that she is hoping Santos will play Ronaldo in its next match on Saturday against Morocco in the quarterfinals.
Ronaldo and Rodríguez have been among the most visible couples in the soccer world after they went public with their relationship in 2017, the same year they welcomed their first child.
Ronaldo was already father to a son at that time, though he has never revealed the mother's identity. He also had twins in 2017 via a surrogate, and he has not disclosed the reasons behind the decision for choosing a surrogate mother.
In April of 2022, Ronaldo announced that Rodríguez gave birth to their baby girl while also sharing the sad news that the infant's twin brother died during childbirth.
Ronaldo is currently a free agent after he and Manchester United mutually agreed to terminate his contract last month. The 37-year-old spoke publicly about his displeasure with the team, and he reportedly clashed with coach Erik ten Hag about the lack of playing time he received.
There had been talk of tension between Ronaldo and Santos at the World Cup. Santos said that he "really didn't like" Ronaldo's behavior during Portugal's previous game against South Korea when the player looked upset about being subbed out.
But following Tuesday's victory, Santos said he and the star had no issues.
"Ronaldo and I never misinterpret the human and personal aspect with that of manager and player," Santos told reporters. "I will always consider that he is a very important player to have in the team."
Ronaldo has not commented on Tuesday's benching but instead celebrated Portugal's win over Switzerland.
"Congratulations to our national team," Ronaldo posted on Instagram. "The dream is alive! To the very end! Come on, Portugal."
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About the writer
Jon Jackson is an Associate Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more
