Manchester City midfielder has taken over the captain’s tape from Ronaldo and will lead Portugal in the first match without the Portuguese star, against Denmark, within the League of Nations.

Silva has acknowledged that Ronaldo has been the main figure of the Portuguese representative for more than two decades, but has stressed that other football players have been accustomed to pressure and responsibility.

We know all the weight Cristiano has. A lot of people have gone to the stadium just to see it, and that won’t happen again, Silva has declared.

He has added that Portugal players are used to being the spotlight and that Ronaldo’s absence will not be a problem in this regard.

Portugal will host a ceremony honouring Ronaldo before the Denmark match, which takes place Saturday in Braga. Portuguese footballers are expected to go out to the field with fans number seven, which Ronaldo has carried for many years.

Cristiano Ronaldo has represented Portugal since 2003. He has held 234 matches and scored 146 goals, keeping the record for the number of national performances and goals.

Selector Jorge Jesus has described him as an excellent idea to honour Ronaldo, describing him as a Portuguese football legend.

Meanwhile, Portugal has already provided the qualifications in the quarterfinals of the League of Nations, having won all four matches in the A4 Group.

Source Layer: RTKLive