Portugal players idolize Cristiano Ronaldo, with many saying it is a “dream” to play with him, but young forward Goncalo Ramos on Saturday joked that he would not accept a piece of chewing gum from his compatriot.
Ronaldo, who scored a penalty in Portugal’s 3-2 win over Ghana on Thursday, was pictured chewing gum he had pulled out of the front of his shorts during the game.
The 37-year-old striker, without a club after an acrimonious split from Manchester United this week, became the first player ever to score at five World Cups.
Photo: Reuters
“Of course not,” laughed Ramos at a news conference, when he was asked if he would take gum from Ronaldo if offered. “Not from him or anyone else, only my brother.”
Ramos said that Ronaldo, the top men’s international goal scorer of all time, was someone that other players looked up to in the Portugal dressing room.
“He’s a reference point for everyone,” Ramos added. “He’s an idol and leads the team, but he’s not the only one. We have others like Bruno Fernandes or Pepe, who can also lead and help Cristiano.”
SL Benfica forward Ramos, 21, appeared as a substitute against Ghana and is looking forward to facing his former teammate Darwin Nunez when Portugal play Uruguay today.
Nunez moved to Liverpool in the summer for ￡85 million (US$102.77 million).
“He’s a great player and as well as being my former teammate, he’s my friend, [but] we’re well prepared to face him,” Ramos said.
Portugal on Saturday trained with 24 of the 26-man squad involved, while Otavio and Nuno Mendes, the latter of whom missed the first game with muscular fatigue, did recovery work in the gym.
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