Some Portugal fans have decided they no longer want to see Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting XI for the national team.

Portugal to face SwitzerlandNewspaper runs pollReaders want Ronaldo benched

WHAT HAPPENED? Readers of Portuguese newspaper A Bola have voted overwhelmingly for captain Cristiano Ronaldo to be benched by the national team. A poll was launched asking if Ronaldo should keep his place in the starting XI and the results are telling. A massive 70% of readers voted ‘No’ with just 30% opting to keep Ronaldo.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Portugal are due to play Switzerland in the last 16 of the World Cup next. Ronaldo has started all of his team’s matches so far in Qatar but was substituted in the defeat to South Korea last time out. Manager Fernando Santos was critical of Ronaldo’s reaction to being taken off after the defeat.

DID YOU KNOW? All eight of Ronaldo’s World Cup goals have come in the group stage of the competition, the most goals scored by a player in the tournament’s history without ever netting in the knockout rounds. Ronaldo is yet to find the back of the net in any of his six knockout appearances for Portugal at the World Cup, despite playing 514 minutes and having 25 total goal attempts.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO? Santos may not have been impressed with Ronaldo against South Korea but it would be a major shock if he did not start Tuesday’s last-16 clash with Switzerland.