– Anilava Chatterjee, Qatar
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is unfazed with the speculations of him joining Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. Reports have linked him to a move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr but no deal has yet been signed. The talisman was seen training with teammates at the Al Shahania stadium on Monday night ahead of Portugal’s all important quarter final clash against Switzerland. Ronaldo looked focused as he trained alongside Bruno Fernandes, Pepe, Joao Felix and others.
According to Portuguese media, there is no official confirmation about Ronaldo joining Al Nassr. The five-time Ballon d’ Or winner has not decided anything officially. The Portuguese media covering the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar have doubts over Ronaldo playing for the Asian club as they feel the superstar footballer wants to continue playing at a higher level of club football in Europe. For Ronaldo, it is not about money as he still has a lot to offer.
“He (Cristiano) has not decided anything officially yet about his move to Al Nassr, He still wants to play at a higher level. For Ronaldo, it is not about money. He has a lot to offer in the game,” said Catherine who is a journalist from Portugal.
She added, “Ronaldo enjoys pressure. He is waiting for the opportunity. He still has a lot to give in this World Cup. He is not affected by the rumours. He is used to be in the news.”
By his standards, it has been a very quiet World Cup for Ronaldo compared to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. The former Manchester United striker has scored only one goal from penalty so far against Ghana.
Portugal will look forward to Ronaldo for inspiration in Tuesday’s pre-quarter final clash against Switzerland at the Lusail Stadium. It will be interesting to see if he starts for the fourth consecutive time in this World Cup after Portugal coach Fernando Santos expressed his displeasure at Ronaldo’s reaction after being subbed off in the game against South Korea.
As far as the team news is concerned, Santos will recall his main players who were rested in the game against South Korea. The likes of Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Felix and Ruben Dias are all set to return. Raphael Guerreiro can play in left-back position while Joao Cancelo can operate in the right.
The last time these two sides met, Portugal beat the Swiss 4-0 in the UEFA Nations League in June before losing 1-0 in the reverse fixture.