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Portugal face Switzerland in the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup today (December 6). Interestingly, a vast majority of fans don't want to see Cristiano Ronaldo start the game.
In a recent survey conducted by the Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola, it was asked if the 37-year-old should keep his place in the national team; 70% voted no. Indeed, Ronaldo has struggled to make his mark in Qatar, looking well below his best for most of their games while netting just a penalty in their opening win over Ghana.
Moreover, he was also named in SofaScore's worst XI of the group stage, having garnered an average rating of just 6.37 across three games.
The Portuguese fans now want their captain to be dropped from their starting lineup as the Selecao prepare to face Switzerland for a place in the quarterfinals.
Some of the comments published under the poll also saw fans making harsh remarks about Ronaldo. One fan wrote:
“What is the reason, why have you been a starter? He wasn’t a starter at the club; he’s not in shape; he says he wants to fight for titles, but every 7 days he’s sick; he doesn’t feel like training, whatever the excuse. So rude, I’ve never seen!”
Another sarcastically suggested that Ronaldo has aged:
“He shouldn’t have even been called up after everything that happened in Manchester. He had the opportunity to be the leader in this selection, but he is being an obstacle. He’s crumbling the image he’s built of himself. Lose him, and lose the selection. This is no longer CR7; it’s CR37.”
Ronaldo has visibly declined this year, with age catching up with the prolific star. His finishing touch isn't as devastating as it used to be, and he seems to have lost his pace too.
Indeed, the Portugal captain's performance in the 2-1 loss to South Korea was widely deemed the worst of the 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage by a player.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal aiming to reach FIFA World Cup quarterfinals after 16 years
Portugal face Switzerland in the Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, having not gone beyond this stage since 2006.
The Selecao are the favourites to prevail on paper but shouldn't underestimate a potent Swiss team with quality attacking options. Ronaldo is also looking to score his first goal in the knockouts of the competition.
Following an underwhelming group stage campaign, all eyes will be on him to make amends and inspire his team to the last eight.
