Portugal's internals are up again because of Ronaldo
* Morocco - Portugal: 10pm today, on MetaSports.
On December 9, the Record (Portugal) newspaper reported that Portuguese players were increasingly upset about the presence of Regufe - who was said to have "excessive influence" after becoming a manager. Ronaldo's own in 2018.
According to Record, some players "didn't understand why" Regufe were included, creating an uncomfortable feeling when the team needed their own space. Others questioned the fact that Regufe was always with the team, even on match days. And besides Ronaldo, no other player is allowed to bring his family to the headquarters of the Portuguese team in Qatar.
Ronaldo and Regufe's relationship dates back to 2003, when Ronaldo was still a potential young player for Sporting Lisbon. Regufe was once Nike's chief marketing officer and was influential in convincing Ronaldo to sign a shoe deal with the sportswear giant.
Since then, Regufe has become an important part of Ronaldo's life, often appearing next to the 37-year-old striker at dinner parties, luxury holidays and award ceremonies. He even congratulated and hugged Ronaldo right on the field, when Portugal beat France in the Euro 2016 final.
Record is also the newspaper that reported on December 8 that Ronaldo threatened to abandon the 2022 World Cup campaign if he was not guaranteed a starting spot, while arguing with coach Fernando Santos. But then, when he calmed down, the 37-year-old striker withdrew his intention, pledging to continue to contribute to the team in Qatar. Both the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and Ronaldo immediately denied the incident.
In a press conference on December 9, coach Santos confirmed that Ronaldo was not satisfied when he was a substitute for Portugal in the 2022 World Cup. But the 68-year-old coach denied that Ronaldo threatened to leave the team, when he asserted that he himself had called on his teammates to come out to show gratitude to the audience after the victory over Switzerland.
Ronaldo started all three of Portugal's group stage matches at the 2022 World Cup, but played ineffectively. In the last round of the group stage, when Portugal lost 1-2 to Korea, Ronaldo expressed dissatisfaction with coach Santos after being substituted. Before the match against Switzerland, Santos said he did not like the reaction of his students and then placed Ronaldo as a substitute, giving the main kick to Goncalo Ramos - who shone with a hat-trick. Thanks to this performance, the 21-year-old striker is expected to continue playing today.
Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals of all time, with 819 club and national goals. He also scored the most goals for a national team, with 118 goals in 195 appearances for Portugal. The 37-year-old striker is aiming to win the first World Cup in this team's history.
Before the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo caused a storm in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan, when he confirmed that he was betrayed by Man Utd, disrespected the current coach Erik ten Hag and criticized his predecessor Ralf Rangnick... , the 37-year-old striker was terminated by Man Utd before the expiration of half a year.
