"Cristiano Ronaldo had this attitude 10 years ago" - Roy Keane defends Portugal superstar amid heavy criticism in recent days

Former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane has defended Cristiano Ronaldo's attitude amidst the littany of criticism the latter has faced during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Ronaldo has been in the thick of media controversy after falling out of favor at Old Trafford. He then followed it up with an explosive interview days before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which brought him even more criticism.

Several pundits, fans, and media outlets have criticized the Portuguese legend for not being a team player and behaving poorly when not put in the starting XI.

However, Keane defended Ronaldo's attitude and told Sky Bet (via the Mirror):

"Are footballers supposed to be perfect? Cristiano Ronaldo had this attitude 10 years ago, but the following game he would score a hat trick, and he was 27 - everyone would forgive him.

"People say that he makes teams worse - Juventus haven’t done anything since he left them a couple of years ago."

Ronaldo was benched for Portugal's match against Switzerland in the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup. His replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick to help Os Navegadores win 6-1, their biggest-ever at the World Cup.

Speaking about the situation circling Cristiano Ronaldo after the match, Keane added:

"Against Switzerland, the Portugal manager made a correct decision to replace Ronaldo with someone who offered more mobility up front. He [Ramos] scores a hat trick, and everyone looks straight to Ronaldo.

"I always thought there could be a chance that Ronaldo wouldn’t start a World Cup knockout game for Portugal – he’s 37!"

Ronaldo has scored just once in the ongoing World Cup, netting a penalty in Portugal's opening game against Ghana.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal face Morocco in their quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Portugal topped their group at the 2022 FIFA World Cup after facing tricky teams like Ghana, Uruguay, and South Korea. They were tasked with a stiff Swiss challenge in the round of 16.

Fernando Santos' men produced one of the best World Cup performances in Qatar as they dismantled Switzerland 6-1. Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro and Rafael Leao all got on the scoresheet apart from Ramos, who netted thrice.

They will now take on African giants Morocco, who entered the last eight after beating Spain on penalties. The African nation has been brilliant in this FIFA World Cup, conceding only one goal in four matches so far.

It remains to be seen if Santos will reinstate Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting line-up or continue to field Ramos for the important match. Should Portugal win their game, they will be up against England or France in the semifinals of the tournament.