That Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped by Portugal “didn’t come as a shock,” claims Man City star Bernardo Silva

Bernardo Silva has revealed that the Portuguese stars found out just two hours before kick-off that Cristiano Ronaldo had been left out of the starting XI at the World Cup.

In a decision Silva said was “not strange”, ahead of the round of 16 clash with Switzerland in Qatar, Ronaldo was ruled out for the first time since Euro 2004 from a game in a major Portuguese tournament that wasn’t a dead rubber.

Ronaldo was capped 194 times before the round of 16, scoring 118 goals, but his poor performances in Qatar saw him come on as a substitute in the most recent group stage loss to South Korea, leading to a falling out with coach Fernando Santos.

Cristiano Ronaldo was axed in the World Cup round of 16 between Portugal and Switzerland

Ronaldo’s suspension was the first time since Euro 2004 that he had been axed for a crucial game

Silva admits that while there was a lot of speculation about Ronaldo going into the round of 16, they only found out a few hours before kick-off.

“We talked between us and said, ‘Could it be, wouldn’t it be?’ because the players talk,” he told Record.

“But we only found out about the team two hours before the game in the dressing room when we got to the stadium.

However, Bernardo Silva claims his exclusion did not come as a shock to the Portuguese side in Qatar

“There are 26 players, too many for the manager to choose for every single game. It never shocks me that he chooses one or the other. Right or wrong in everyone’s opinion, the manager has the right to make the decisions he makes.’

Ronaldo was replaced by Goncalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick in his place in the 6-1 win over Switzerland, while Ronaldo later came on as a second-half substitute.

His ax for the duel with the Swiss led to reports that Ronaldo had threatened to leave the Portuguese camp, although this was denied by the country’s federation.

Although Ramos retained his place in the quarter-finals against Morocco, they collapsed in a surprise 1-0 defeat, with Ronaldo unable to turn the game around after coming on again as a second-half substitute. He was then seen leaving the pitch in tears.

Ronaldo held heated talks with Fernando Santos during the World Cup after he was dismissed

The 37-year-old’s tournament was already suspended after he mutually terminated his contract with Manchester United early in the competition.

Since then, the veteran has inked a staggering £175million-a-year deal with Al-Nassr to play in Saudi Arabia.

Ronaldo could make his debut for Al-Nassr against Al Ta’ee on Thursday, Sportsmail previously reported, after the 37-year-old flew to the country for a medical.

The veteran striker has since signed for Saudi Arabia club Al-Nassr for £175million

However, his arrival could coincide with another clash with management as Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia claimed he tried to sign Ronaldo’s nemesis Lionel Messi before signing the Portuguese star.

Excited Saudi fans chanted his name and queued to buy No. 7 replica football shirts at the club’s shop ahead of his much-anticipated entry into the Saudi Arabia football team.

However, he could still be in line for a Premier League return with a reported contract clause allowing him to join Newcastle on loan should they reach the Champions League.