Cristiano Ronaldo cut an isolated figure after Portugal’s stunning 6-1 victory over Switzerland on Tuesday night as he walked off the pitch while his teammates continued to celebrate their stunning performance on the field.
RELATED: Pepe breaks a 32-year-old World Cup record
The Portuguese captain made his own way to the dressing room following the game having been dropped by coach Fernando Santos.
Portugal had no issues without him in the side as they raced into a 5-1 lead in his absence – with his replacement Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick – before he was introduced having started on the bench in a knockout game for his country for the first time since Euro 2008.
In a clip released after Portugal blew away Switzerland at the Lusail Stadium, Portuguese players can be seen applauding on the pitch as they soak up the acclaim of their fans following a sensational display.
But apart from his colleagues is Ronaldo, who is slowly making his way across the pitch toward the Portuguese tunnel. The 37-year-old proceeds to exit the pitch on his own and notably, his teammates neglect to join him as they celebrate jubilantly as a group.
RELATED: Giroud and Mbappe make history as France knocks out Poland from World Cup
Prior to kick-off much of the talk about Portugal’s last 16 clashes naturally concerned the five-time Ballon d’Or winner as debate raged over why he had been dropped from the side.
