By: Rajini KG
December 12 2022
False: Cristiano Ronaldo threatened to leave the 2022 FIFA World Cup after being benched in Portugal's match against Switzerland.
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
The Portuguese Football Federation has clarified that Ronaldo, the national team captain, had not threatened to quit the ongoing World Cup.
Claim ID 78d757be
Context
After Portugal's victory against Switzerland on December 6, 2022, several false narratives about Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo started circulating on social media. One such post from GiveMeSport, claims, "CRISTIANO RONALDO 'THREATENED TO LEAVE WORLD CUP' AFTER BEING TOLD HE WAS DROPPED VS SWITZERLAND." However, this is false, and the Portuguese Football Federation has denied the reports.
In Fact
A keyword search led us to a statement by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), which dismissed reports of Ronaldo's threats to walk out from the tournament on December 8. The FPF said, "at no time did the captain of the National Team, Cristiano Ronaldo, threaten to leave the national team during the internship in Qatar."
On December 8, the BBC reported on the FPF's denial that Ronaldo had threatened to leave the World Cup midway. On the same day, Ronaldo tweeted in support of the Portuguese team by writing in Portuguese, "A group too tight-knit 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!"
On December 8, The Guardian published an interview with Portugal midfielder Otávio Edmilson da Silva Monteiro on their YouTube channel with the title, "Otávio denies Ronaldo wanted to leave Portugal's World Cup squad." Monteiro addressed the rumors regarding Ronaldo, saying, "He never wanted to leave,' and 'it's normal a player gets upset when he doesn't play." Monteiro's statement confirms that Ronaldo never threatened to leave the FIFA World Cup.
Many rumors and unconfirmed reports about Ronaldo have been circulating during the FIFA tournament. One of the rumors is that Ronaldo signed a £200 million-a-year contract offer from the Saudi Arabian club, a claim Logically has previously debunked. Ronaldo, Portugal's most-capped player, and a leading goalscorer, is a free agent after he ended his contract with his former football club Manchester United.
The Verdict
The FPF has clarified that Ronaldo never threatened to leave the Portuguese national football team and the ongoing World Cup. Ronaldo himself also tweeted in solidarity with the Portuguese team, indicating that he continues to stand with them. Therefore, we have marked this claim as false.