Bernardo Silva said he backs former Portugal manager Fernando Santos in dropping Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup, admitting that the rest of his international teammates were discussing the possibility during the tournament.
Manchester City star Bernardo was one of Portugal's key players in Qatar, as was Ronaldo during the group stages. However, Ronaldo came into the tournament having just ended his Manchester United career following a controversial interview where he criticised the club and said he had no respect for manager Erik Ten Hag.
That controversy, coupled with inconsistent form, meant that Ronaldo was in line to be replaced for Portugal's last-16 win over Switzerland, as Goncalo Ramos stepped in and scored an impressive hat-trick. Portugal would be knocked out in the quarter-finals by Morocco, with Ronaldo again starting on the bench.
