Portugal will need Cristiano Ronaldo to win the World Cup, says Salgado

Cristiano Ronaldo will still believe he will score the winning goal in the World Cup final, according to former Real Madrid full-back Michel Salgado.

Portugal head coach Fernando Santos started Ronaldo on the bench for their last-16 clash with Switzerland on Tuesday, which worked out well as his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win.

It came just two weeks after Ronaldo and Manchester United agreed to terminate his contract, with coach Erik ten Hag shaping his team largely without the 37-year-old, despite him being the Premier League side s top scorer last season.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Salgado explained how it can feel to go through a decline in importance near the end of a playing career, but added his belief that Ronaldo will still wa…