Portugal have denied claims former Manchester United ace Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the World Cup after being dropped to the bench by manager Fernando Santos.
The 37-year-old was named among the substitutes for Portugal's Round of 16 victory over Switzerland, with the veteran frontman coming on late in the tie. His replacement Goncalo Ramos justified his manager's decision by bagging a brilliant hat-trick in the 6-1 victory.
Ronaldo was criticised by Santos for his reaction to being substituted in the group stage defeat to South Korea, and he headed straight down the tunnel after the full-time whistle on Wednesday night, rather than staying on the pitch to celebrate with his teammates.
