Man, the noise around Cristiano Ronaldo getting benched during the World Cup felt like the loudest thing on the planet, right? Every sports show, every comment section, it was just people screaming about ego, politics, or some imagined fallout. I’m telling you, it drove me absolutely nuts. I just knew there had to be something deeper, something tactical that the quick-hit media was completely missing.
I started this project, really, because I lost a bet. Not a huge financial bet, but a dignity bet with my three main football watching buddies after the Switzerland game. They were all on the “Santos disrespected the GOAT” bandwagon, yelling about how the coach was insane. I told them straight up: “No manager benches a player like that in the knockout stages unless the numbers scream he has to.” They laughed me out of the room. So, I decided I had to shut them up with facts.
The Messy Process: Digging Through the Digital Dirt
My first step was throwing out 90% of what showed up on my news feed. If the headline mentioned ‘drama,’ ‘betrayal,’ or ‘locker room tensions,’ I dumped it. I needed primary sources, or at least sources willing to break down formations and pressing triggers, not just gossip.
What I initially collected:
- The full, raw press conferences from Fernando Santos before and after the Switzerland and Morocco games. I ignored the subtitles and used a translator app on my phone to check the nuance of the Portuguese phrases he used.
- Heat maps and running data from all group stage games, focusing specifically on defensive workload and pressing intensity from the forward line.
- Specific commentary clips from non-Portuguese or UK pundits—I found some amazing analysis from a couple of Scandinavian and German tactical channels that focused purely on structure.
The problem with looking for tactical truth is that managers are often vague on purpose. Santos kept talking about “the needs of the team” and “strategic changes,” which is code for “I’m not telling you my secrets.” I had to reverse-engineer his logic.
Reverse-Engineering the Coach’s Brain
I spent an entire weekend just re-watching the second half of the game against South Korea, where Ronaldo played. I analyzed how often he tracked back versus how often Gonçalo Ramos, the younger guy, was dropping deep to link play or initiate the high press. It was night and day. Ronaldo’s role had become almost purely focused on the box, waiting for chances. Against Switzerland, Santos needed speed, transition, and chaos.
Here’s what my data logs clearly showed:
- Switzerland Match (The Benchmark): The switch to Ramos created an immediate, frantic energy. Ramos covered about 1.5km more distance in the defensive half than Ronaldo typically did. This transition speed absolutely demolished Switzerland early on.
- The Pressing Gap: Against low-block teams like Morocco (the next game), you need forwards who can draw defenders out of position and create space by running into the channels. Ronaldo is brilliant, but at 37, his runs are vertical, aiming for goals. Ramos and Felix were making diagonal, confusing runs.
- The Locker Room Lie: The media kept pushing that Santos was punishing him. But I found clips where Santos repeatedly praised Ronaldo’s professionalism, even acknowledging how hard it was to bench him. A coach dealing with a disruptive ego doesn’t praise the player publicly; they isolate him. This wasn’t isolation; it was a painful tactical choice.
The Payoff: Proving the Tactical Reality
After putting together spreadsheets comparing offensive touches, defensive pressing metrics, and positional flexibility, the answer smacked me right in the face: it was never about disrespect or controversy. It was pure, brutal football pragmatism.
Santos realized he needed a different kind of nine to maximize the midfield talent he had. He needed a runner, not a focal point. He needed speed for transitional attacks, and frankly, Ramos was delivering that explosive performance.
I took all my findings—the translated quotes, the movement diagrams, the defensive metrics—and compiled them into a short presentation for my mates. I didn’t even try to be subtle. I just dropped the PDF on them with the title: “Why Santos Made the Only Logical Choice.”
They grumbled, naturally, because everyone loves the drama. But once they actually looked at the defensive work rate numbers, especially in transition, they had to admit it. The controversy was manufactured by clicks; the truth was written in the distance markers on the pitch.
I didn’t win any money, but I won the argument, and honestly, finding the real, unglamorous truth behind a massive sporting spectacle felt like a huge win. Sometimes, the most stable, boring tactical decision is the one that causes the biggest headlines, and figuring out why is the real fun of it all.