Fifa World Cup: Results and reactions from day 16
Portugal take on Switzerland in the World Cup looking to grab the final place in the quarter-finals in Qatar and a match against Morocco following their stunning win over Spain on penalties.
Portugal finished top of Group H despite their defeat to South Korea, but head coach Fernando Santos has dropped Cristiano Ronaldo following his reaction to being substituted in the 2-1 loss. Ronaldo’s performances have been generally underwhelming and the subject of criticism in Portugal, with the 37-year-old looking to reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 2006.
Switzerland will be hoping to spring an upset after they finished runner-up in Group G thanks to a dramatic and stormy 3-2 win over Serbia. The World Cup has been full of upsets so far, and Switzerland will be out to provide a late twist on what has been a dramatic day in Qatar. Follow all the action in our live blog below, following the conclusion of Morocco’s dramatic win against Spain.
Will Portugal miss Ronaldo?
With Ronaldo dropped to the bench for this game, it’s the first time Portugal will play a match at a major tournament without him in the starting line-up since 2008.
It’s been even longer since the last time Portugal played without him in a knockout match, with the last year being 2000.
Portugal vs Switzerland
Switzerland won two of their matches in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup (L1 v Brazil), and will be looking to win three games in a single World Cup tournament for the first time in their history.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s place in history is secure – his position in the sport is not
It may say something about Fifa’s fondness for the rich and famous that the man-of-the-match award in this World Cup tends to go to the player with the greatest profile, not the one who produced the finest display in the preceding 90 minutes. Kevin De Bruyne was utterly bemused to find himself the recipient when Belgium beat Canada. Gareth Bale got the prize for a penalty against the United States, Luka Modric perhaps for being Luka Modric. But none is as rich and famous as Cristiano Ronaldo.
His status affords certain privileges, perhaps including winning and scoring a spot-kick that, as Mohammed Salisu appeared to win the ball, the Ghana manager Otto Addo deemed “a special gift from the referee”. But with his goal rendering him the governing body’s choice as officially the outstanding player in Portugal’s 3-2 victory, Ronaldo was summoned to speak.
The 37-year-old made history by scoring in Portugal’s win over Ghana, but there is currently no team waiting for him after the World Cup
Portugal vs Switzerland
The fans are ready. Will Portugal live up to their favourites tag or can Switzerland pull off the second World Cup shock of the day?
(REUTERS)
(PA)
(Getty Images)
Portugal vs Switzerland
Portugal will be looking to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup for just a third time, previously doing so in 1966 and in 2006.
However, they’ve failed to win any of their past five knockout games at the tournament, losing each of their last four, including defeats at this stage in 2010 (0-1 vs Spain) and in 2018 (1-2 vs Uruguay).
Portugal vs Switzerland latest odds
In every aspect Switzerland are the underdogs heading into this match. Betfair has them as the most unlikely winners of the entire tournament after Morocco’s victory over Spain.
Here are the latest odds:
Portugal vs Switzerland winner
To win the 2022 World Cup
Portugal vs Switzerland
This will be the third meeting between Portugal and Switzerland in 2022, having faced each other twice in the Nations League in June.
Portugal won 4-0 in a match played in Lisbon, before Switzerland won 1-0 in Geneva a week later.
Why is Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench?
One reason could be that Portugal coach Fernando Santos says he "really didn’t like" Ronaldo’s reaction to being substituted in the World Cup defeat by South Korea.
As Ronaldo was taken off he had a verbal outburst in the direction of his coach but has denied his words were meant for Santos.
"I am not worried if information is right or wrong," said Santos. "I do not read this type of information. I am focused on my team. We are focusing on training and not paying attention to any polls [in the Portuguese media].
"Yes, I did not like it, not at all [Ronaldo’s outburst]. I really did not like it and from that moment on that issue [it] is finished.”
Morocco heroes stand tall to make history as Spain shrink in shootout
A now vintage Spanish elimination, a historic Moroccan victory. They have ensured this first ever World Cup in the Muslim world still has a Muslim country involved, and prevented the usual carve-up between Europe and South America. Morocco have reached the quarter-finals for the first time, and fully deserved it.
It was Luis Enrique himself who said Walid Regragui’s side are the “revelations of this World Cup”. They’re even more than that now.
If it points to a new world, and came from a side that have announced themselves as someone no one wants to face, much of that was from exploiting the same old Spanish flaws. They go out at the last-16 stage on penalties for the second successive World Cup, again playing over 1,000 passes in a match, and that ensuring that Luis Enrique’s demand for his players to hit over 1,000 penalties in the last year meant nothing. They scored none of their three penalties.
Morocco 0-0 Spain (0-3 on penalties): The Spanish missed all three of their penalties in the shootout to exit in the last 16 in a second straight world championship
All the passing, all the penalties, none of the precision: Spain haunted by familiar World Cup exit
“I couldn’t care less about the result,” Luis Enrique had said in the build-up to Spain’s latest bid to get past the World Cup’s first knockout round. He will care about this one, a magnificent Morocco instead earning the best in their history and a first-ever quarter-final place with it.
It came in a penalty shootout, just as it did against Russia four years ago at the same stage, Enrique’s directive to “take 1,000 penalties” before this tournament a year ago evidently not heeded.
Morocco 0-0 Spain (Morocco win 3-0 on penalties): Luis Enrique had told his team to take 1,000 penalties before the World Cup, they should’ve taken 1,00
