Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was benched Tuesday during the Portugal vs. Switzerland match and was replaced with a teammate who ended up scoring several goals in his place.
Ronaldo started all three group stage matches for Portugal, helping his native country beat Ghana with a 3-2 win. Ronaldo was subbed out of the match against South Korea, with Portugal losing 2-1. And Ronaldo wasn’t included in the starting 11 for the game against Switzerland.
Ronaldo walking in 👀 pic.twitter.com/1U1jhiRAYh
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 6, 2022
But it was his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, who helped put Portugal ahead in the game by scoring a hat trick.
WHAT A STRIKE BY RAMOS 🚀🎯🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/P7NLzsiU7s
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 6, 2022
Ronaldo looks so happy watching the guy who replaced him score a goal for Portugal 😂 pic.twitter.com/NDgSfv0U7G
— Soccer Memes (@SoccerMemes) December 6, 2022
Ronaldo is reportedly set to join Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr following his midseason exit from Manchester United. The deal is reportedly for two-and-a-half years and worth more than €500 million. Ronaldo’s annual salary is set at nearly €200 million, which would make him the highest-paid athlete in the world. (RELATED: Team USA Eliminated From World Cup By The Netherlands In The Round Of 16)
Manchester United announced Nov. 22 that Ronaldo and the club had mutually separated. Since then, Ronaldo has been competing in the FIFA World Cup representing Portugal.