You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s turbulent season on the football pitch is continuing its downward trend.
Ahead of Portugal’s round of 16 matchup against Switzerland at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a survey conducted by Portuguese newspaper A Bola had 70% of respondents wanting the 37-year-old Ronaldo benched.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
The survey asks respondents: “Should Cristiano Ronaldo keep his title in the National Team?”
The results are definitely lopsided against Ronaldo.
After a slow start to the 2022-23 English Premier League campaign under new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, Ronaldo eventually found himself without a club right before the World Cup got underway.
Local
The Red Devils agreed to terminate Ronaldo’s contract by mutual consent in November shortly after he participated in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan. In the interview, Ronaldo delivered a number of scathing quotes about his second tenure with the club, which ultimately ended with both sides parting ways.
Ronaldo’s sluggish form has continued with Portugal in the World Cup, where his lone goal came on a penalty kick against Ghana in the Group H opener. Apart from that, he’s largely been invisible with his overall play, and it appears that some Portuguese fans want a change.
Could it happen? Ultimately, it would come down to manager Fernando Santos making the switch, and it would certainly be a global talking point in what is likely Ronaldo’s last World Cup.
