"Messi would never" "GOAT debate is officially over" - Cristiano Ronaldo gets brutally trolled as he's benched for Portugal vs Switzerland clash

Cristiano Ronaldo is being torn to shreds on social media after being selected on the bench for Portugal's FIFA World Cup last 16 clash with Switzerland.

The 37-year-old has started all three of Selecao das Quinas' fixtures in Qatar.

He was on the scoresheet in Portugal's 3-2 win over Ghana in their opener but has not scored since.

In fact, it has been a struggle for the former Manchester United attacker, who looked lethargic and lacked energy up top for Fernando Santos's side.

His performances at the FIFA World Cup have been lambasted, and his attitude has also been criticized.

Cristiano Ronaldo claimed a goal scored by teammate Bruno Fernandes in a 2-0 win over Uruguay despite not getting a touch on the ball.

He then showed his frustration in being substituted in Selecao's 2-1 defeat to South Korea.

Santos is believed to have been unimpressed by Ronaldo's response to being taken off.

It is not known whether this is a reason the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been benched.

Meanwhile, Diogo Costa starts in goal, with Diogo Dalot, Pepe, Ruben Dias, and Raphael Guerreiro in defense.

However, intrigue builds over Santos' decision, and it has enthused fans on Twitter.

Many are claiming that it spells the end of the Real Madrid icon's career and is the decisive factor in his longtime rivalry with nemesis Lionel Messi.

Here are some reactions from supporters on Twitter to Cristiano Ronaldo's omission:

Cristiano Ronaldo is having a negative impact on Portugal at the FIFA World Cup

That is according to Premier League legend Chris Sutton, who believes Portugal are better off without their skipper.

Ronaldo's issues have grown throughout the campaign with each haphazard performance.

He has been dealing with club-related problems after mutually agreeing to terminate his contract at Manchester United.

About the author

Matthew is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who has been covering news, rumors and match reports for close to 3 years. Learning creative writing from University of Essex, he combined his skills and passion for football take up writing for the sport professionally.

Matthew always strives to go beyond a story and offer unique and lesser-known insights, while maintaining an unbiased tone in his articles. His reporting exploits at the company have helped him gain a humungous readership of 25 million, with one of his articles raking in a whopping 724,000 reads.

A Manchester United fan since childhood, Matthew admired Sir Alex Ferguson for his loyalty and brave coaching style. His favorite footballer is Thierry Henry, believing the Frenchman to be uniquely talented and charismatic. An ardent Three Lions fan, England's penalty shootout win over Colombia in 2018 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment of all time, and he believes that Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe will have a Ballon d’Or duopoly after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He also follows his local EFL League Two clubs AFC Wimbledon and Sutton United, and spends his free time watching and writing about professional wrestling. He also likes to work out, watch movies and go for night outs.

Know More