Ronaldo, was the 'profanity and insubordination' incident against South Korea just a trailer? He caused another uproar after sitting on the bench for 90 minutes: "Packed his bags alone, leaving his teammates behind"

*This content was translated by AI.

Cristiano Ronaldo (41) sparked controversy by staying on the bench for the entire 90 minutes against Norway and heading straight to the locker room as soon as the final whistle blew.

Portuguese media outlet "O Jogo" reported on the 29th (Korean time), "Ronaldo and Portugal national team head coach Jorge Jesus held a conversation regarding this incident."

The controversy erupted immediately after the match. While his national team teammates approached the stands to greet fans, Ronaldo slipped away alone into the locker room.

Media outlets around the world focused heavily on this behavior. Germany's "Bild" described it as a "lightning-fast exit after waiting on the bench," highlighting the player's frustration. France's "L'Equipe" emphasized that Ronaldo missing an official Portugal match for the full 90 minutes was the first time since Euro 2008. Spain's "Mundo Deportivo" pointed out his attitude of ignoring fans, while the UK's "Goal.com" expressed bewilderment by citing head coach Jesus's remark that "we cannot know what is in his heart." Argentina's "TyC Sports" suggested that Gonzalo Higuain's outstanding performance led to Ronaldo's exclusion and raised the possibility of a clash with the new manager.

As rumors of discord spread, Ronaldo took steps to dismiss the controversy by posting a photo of himself beaming on his social media along with the caption "Vamos (Let's go)." Head coach Jesus also expressed his intention to continue using Ronaldo after the match, leaving open the possibility of his appearance in the upcoming match against Denmark.

This is not the first time Ronaldo has clashed with the national team head coach or engaged in impulsive behavior. During the 2022 Qatar World Cup match against South Korea, he voiced dissatisfaction with a substitution order and clashed with head coach Fernando Santos, subsequently being relegated to the bench in the following match against Switzerland.

Immediately after losing to Belgium at Euro 2020 in 2021, and when his winning goal was disallowed in a match against Serbia that same year, he threw his captain's armband on the ground in anger. During Euro 2016, he snatched a microphone from a reporter and threw it into a lake, and after losing to Spain at the 2010 South Africa World Cup, he shifted blame onto head coach Carlos Queiroz.

This is Ronaldo's third time sitting on the bench in a national team match. Since his debut in 2002, during which he has played a total of 1,364 matches, he has been included in the squad but not taken to the field in only 24 matches (1.76%). Considering his entire illustrious career, this absence is an extremely rare case.

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*This content was translated by AI.