In a historic shift, Cristiano Ronaldo was absent from Portugal’s match against Sweden, marking the first time in 17 years that another player donned the No 7 jersey.
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Glorious debut of Bruma
The unexpectedly vacated position by Ronaldo gave Bruma a chance to show what he can do, and he scored a goal only 11 minutes after Leao was replaced.
The 29-year-old struck twice, paving the way to a final score of 4-0 against Sweden while breaking his four-month-long international scoring drought dating back to October 2018.
Lacking Ronaldo, Portugal proved superior against Sweden, the score being 5–2 in the favour of Portugal in their first game of the year. The tie reflects not only the strength and ability of the former to fight back as they replace their old hero but also the cherished handiness it had over the latter.
Why Ronaldo did not play against Sweden?
The senior players, including Ronaldo, were picked by RTM to become part of his 23-man roster but have rested along with the others during the first match.
Going on holiday, Cristiano Ronaldo spent time with his family in Saudi Arabia. It is, therefore, expected he will return to sports next on Tuesday when Portugal are having a friendly against Slovenia.
With Portugal moving forward, the role of Ronaldo is signaling a transition for the national team, although the emblematic striker is as steadfast as ever, he has made clear his loyalty to his country’s soccer team till the next European Championship in 2024.