Manchester United legend Gary Neville criticised Cristiano Ronaldo for his behaviour after he was dropped for Portugal’s World Cup last 16 tie.

Ronaldo dropped vs SwitzerlandGary Neville slams his attitudeInsists he’s ‘got to do better’

WHAT HAPPENED? After showing his displeasure at being substituted in his side’s defeat to South Korea, Ronaldo dropped to the bench for their last-16 tie against Switzerland. Footage of the team arriving to the game indicating he again wasn’t happy with manager Fernando Santos’ decision. Neville spoke about his former teammate ahead of the match, criticising his demeanour.

WHAT HE SAID: “This is a manager (Fernando Santos) who’s got an unbelievable relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo for eight years,” Neville explained on ITV ahead of the game. “And there are a lot of fans of Cristiano Ronaldo who aren’t willing to tell him the truth, and I think he does need to listen to the truth that it’s becoming a little bit of a scruffy end.”

He added: “It wouldn’t surprise me if he came on tonight and scored the winner, but the petulance, the stomping around, the sulking, it’s got to stop, because it doesn’t reflect well on him at all. His long-term legacy is set… but in the short term he’s got to do a lot better, because is the Juventus manager wrong? Is the Manchester United manager wrong? And now is the Portugal manager wrong? There’s three of them that have now done the same thing with him.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The last time Ronaldo didn’t start for Portugal in a major tournament was against Switzerland in 2008, highlighting his importance over the last decade. The 37-year-old is currently a free agent after agreeing to terminate his Manchester United contract, though he is expected to join Saudi side Al-Nassr in January.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? Beyond trying to get off the bench and make an impact against Switzerland, the forward will look to finalise his club future when the World Cup ends.