Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo sparked controversy after being substituted in the match between his national team and South Korea during the third round of the group stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The head coach of the Portuguese team, Fernando Santos, replaced Ronaldo in the 65th minute of the match. Ronaldo was overheard saying some words as he left the field at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, leading some to believe that the captain of Portugal was angry with his coach over the substitution decision.
However, Ronaldo clarified in a press conference after the match that his frustration during the substitution was not directed at Santos. He stated, "My anger during the substitution was not because of Santos; during the substitution, one of the Korean players asked me to leave quickly, and I told him to be quiet as he had no authority and should not say anything." South Korean forward Cho Gue-sung was upset with Ronaldo's delay in exiting the field and time-wasting, as the score was tied at 1-1 while Uruguay was leading Ghana 2-0, meaning Korea needed a win.
South Korea managed to defeat Portugal 2-1 and secured a spot in the Round of 16 of the Qatar World Cup.
