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Cristiano Ronaldo and nine other players from Portugal's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad are yet to send a message to Fernando Santos after he called it quits.
Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, went into the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the hopes of winning the trophy. However, Portugal crashed out of the tournament after losing 1-0 to Morocco in the quarter-finals.
The Navigators' World Cup exit has led Santos to step down from his role as their head coach. The national team has been tipped to name a replacement for the 68-year-old in the next few weeks.
Santos replaced Paulo Bento as Portugal's head coach after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He went on to lead the nation to UEFA European Champions glory in the summer of 2016.
The veteran was also at the helm during Portugal's UEFA Nations League triumph in 2018-19. However, the team failed to get past the Round of 16 of the World Cup and European Championship in 2018 and 2021, respectively.
Portugal's failure in Qatar this year has now brought Santos' stint with them to an end. Having been in charge of the side for eight years, he reportedly thanked the players for their efforts before stepping down.
Not all players, though, have shown a willingness to return the favor, as noted by Portuguese daily Record. 10 players from Santos' 2022 FIFA World Cup squad are yet to thank him publicly.
Cristiano Ronaldo is among those who are yet to send his wishes to the former FC Porto manager. Other players on that list include Joao Cancelo, Diogo Dalot, Diogo Costa, Rafael Leao, and Ruben Neves.
Veteran defender Pepe was the first of the other 16 players to express his gratitude towards Santos. While the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva have followed suit, Vitinha and Goncalo Ramos only shared the announcement on social media.
What next for Cristiano Ronaldo?
It now remains to be seen who will take charge of Portugal next, with Jose Mourinho mooted as an option. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that there are also question marks about Cristiano Ronaldo's future.
Ronaldo was notably relegated to the bench for Portugal's 2022 FIFA World Cup knockout matches before being eliminated. This might explain why he has not thanked Santos publicly following the coach's departure.
At 37 years of age, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is nearing the end of his career and it is unclear if he will continue with Portugal for long. He is also notably without a club after having his contract with Manchester United terminated last month.
