Bernardo Silva believes Cristiano Ronaldo can 'still play at the very top' despite his recent exit from Manchester United.
Ronaldo made headlines this month as his relationship with United came to an acrimonious end. After the forward criticised the club and manager Erik ten Hag in an interview with Piers Morgan last week, United announced on Tuesday that Ronaldo's contract had been mutually terminated with immediate effect.
That meant Ronaldo went into the World Cup with Portugal as the only player at the tournament to be unattached to a club. He of course responded in typical Ronaldo fashion, scoring the opening goal of the game in Portugal's 3-2 defeat of Ghana on Thursday despite putting in an unconvincing performance.
READ MORE: Ronaldo erupts as Ghana forward copies his goal celebration
Some speculated whether the circus surrounding Ronaldo's spat with United would prove a distraction to the Portuguese squad, but his teammates have rallied around their talismanic attacker. That includes Manchester City and Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva, who believes Ronaldo's displays for the national team show he can still play at the top level.
"We are happy to know that we can still count on Cristiano – not just the goal but he worked a lot for the team," Bernardo said after the Ghana win.
"What he does now is his decision and the decision of whoever it is who offers him a contract. I think he can still play at the very top. It depends on what Ronaldo wants. I don’t know what he wants for his life. He has to speak with his family and decide for himself, right?
"I support his decision in terms of it’s his decision. He’s my team-mate in Portugal – if he’s happy, we’re happy. He’s been fine, he’s been great."
Bernardo lined up next Ronaldo for Portugal's opening win alongside City teammates Ruben Dias and Joao Cancelo. They will look to secure their place in the last-16 when they face Uruguay on Monday.
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