Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted he would never turn his back on Portugal - and his international team-mates are fully behind him.
The club-less 37-year-old striker was alleged to have threatened to pack his bags and walk out on his nation's World Cup dream after being told by coach Fernando Santos that had been dropped for the last-16 clash with Switzerland on Tuesday night.
And although the Portuguese FA claimed the accusation was false, Ronaldo felt it necessary to state his case on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. Ronaldo, who is a free agent, told his millions of followers: "A group too close to be broken by outside forces.
"A nation too brave to let itself be frightened by any adversary. A team in the truest sense of the word, which will fight for the dream until the end! Believe with us. Strength, Portugal!"
Portugal's squad appear to be behind their skipper, with several stars - including Diogo Dalot and Jose Sa - liking his Instagram post. Former Portugal international Miguel Veloso was among those to comment. He wrote: "It's all said [true]."
Ronaldo, who had his contract terminated by Manchester United just two days before Portugal’s opening game of the tournament, was dropped for the Switzerland clash after swearing at backroom staff following the decision to substitute him against South Korea.
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Santos suggested his decision to leave him out was tactical - but the coach’s reasoning failed to pacify the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. Team-mate Otavio spoke out to support Ronaldo’s claim that there are no splits in the camp.
Otavio, who plays for Inter Milan, said: "Cristiano is right - the group is united. We know everything that is going on and we are focused on playing and winning for Portugal. he situation has always been normal. Nobody saw an argument or anything like that.
"It’s normal that when I don’t play, I get upset. It isn’t just Cristiano. But everything he does or doesn’t do is news. Cristiano has always been the body and soul of this team. Sometimes the media show a negative image of him.
"But he’s a great captain and he supports the team even if he doesn’t play. Cristiano never said anything about leaving. Quite the contrary. Playing or not, he is an example, he is our captain."
Ronaldo came off the bench after seeing his replacement Goncalo Ramos score a hat-trick in Portugal’s 6-1 victory over the Swiss. Santos now has to decide whether to keep faith with the Benfica striker for the quarter-final clash with Morocco on Saturday - or bow to pressure to reinstate Ronaldo.
It has been a rollercoaster season for Ronaldo. Despite scoring 24 goals on his return to Manchester, he failed to convince new United boss Erik ten Hag that he could lead his attack. The Portuguese started just 10 games under the Dutchman, scoring three goals.
Ronaldo was fined for refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham in October. And after missing games against Aston Villa and Fulham through illness before the break for the World Cup, he launched a scathing attack on United and Ten Hag in a blistering TV interview with Piers Morgan.
United immediately sought legal advice to discover if they could sack their No 7 for breach of contract. When his £500,000-a-week deal was cancelled, Ronaldo reacted by becoming the first player to score in five World Cup tournaments as Portugal beat Ghana 3-2.
Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr have tabled an offer worth a bank-busting £173million-a-year to take Ronaldo back to the desert in the New Year. But Mirror Sport understands he has other less lucrative options and will not make a decision on his future until after the World Cup.
