Ronaldo enters for Portugal in the second half, tying international caps record
Published
Cristiano Ronaldo was left off the starting lineup for the second straight game, but when he was subbed into the game in the 51st minute, he tied the men's international caps record with his 196th for Portugal.
He joins Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait at the top of that list, who made his first cap for his squad on September 4, 2003, and made his most recent cap on June 14, 2022.
This World Cup has been mired in controversy with Ronaldo and Portuguese head coach Fernando Santos, as Ronaldo was visibly angry after being subbed out of a group stage game and subsequently left off the starting 11 in their first elimination game.
Morocco scored the opening goal of their match with Portugal in the quarter-final, forcing Portugal to go to their bench to try to find an equalizer in the second half.