Portugal players idolise Cristiano Ronaldo, with many saying it is a “dream” to play with him, but young forward Goncalo Ramos joked on Saturday that he wouldn’t accept a piece of chewing gum from his compatriot.
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Ronaldo, who scored a penalty in Portugal’s 3-2 win over Ghana, was pictured chewing one he had pulled out 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.
“Of course not,” laughed Ramos at a press conference, when he was asked if he would take a gum from Ronaldo if offered.
“Not from him or anyone else, only my brother.”
Ramos said that Ronaldo, the top men’s international goalscorer of all time, was someone that other players looked up to in the Portugal dressing room.
“He’s a reference point for everyone,” added Ramos.
“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.”
Benfica forward Ramos, 21, appeared as a substitute against Ghana and is looking forward to facing his former team-mate Darwin Nunez when Portugal play Uruguay on Monday.
Nunez moved to Liverpool in the summer for £85 million ($103 million).
“He’s a great player and as well as being my former team-mate, he’s my friend, (but) we’re well prepared to face him,” added Ramos.
Portugal trained on Saturday 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.
