Portugal head coach, Fernando Santos, has insisted he won’t drop Cristiano Ronaldo from his team.
Ronaldo has endured a miserable international break and squandered the chance to win the UEFA Nations League for the second time in his career, as Spain pulled off a late 1-0 win in Braga.
It has sparked debate in his homeland over whether the 37-year-old should continue to lead the line with the World Cup set to kick off in less than two months’ time.
Having been dropped by Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, Santos is now facing calls to bench Ronaldo in Qatar.
But the Portugal manager, who’s maintained an unwavering faith in Ronaldo during his eight-year tenure, has reaffirmed that the veteran will still be his starting striker come November.
When asked about Ronaldo’s performance against Spain post-match, Santos replied: “What interests me is how the team played. Ronaldo had three or four chances. Two very good ones, which he usually scores. He didn’t score. It’s football.”
