The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on Thursday denied Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to desert the World Cup squad after being benched in opposition to Switzerland. The 37-year-old striker was surprisingly dropped for the final 16 conflict on Tuesday, along with his alternative Goncalo Ramos netting a hat-trick within the 6-1 victory. Ronaldo appeared from the bench, however a report from Portuguese publication Record stated the striker had beforehand threatened to go away in a tense dialog with coach Fernando Santos.

“The FPF clarifies that at no time did the captain of the Selecao, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the stay in Qatar,” stated the federation.

“Every day Ronaldo is building up a unique track record at the service of the national team and the country, which must be respected.”

The FPF stated Ronaldo’s look in opposition to Switzerland was an additional demonstration of his dedication to the trigger.

Ronaldo is the most-capped Portuguese participant and the highest males’s worldwide goalscorer of all time.

Portugal face Morocco on Saturday within the quarter-finals, the place Ramos could once more get the nod over Ronaldo.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner didn’t prepare with the opposite substitutes on Wednesday after the sport, as a substitute participating in a fitness center session alongside the starters in opposition to Switzerland.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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