Cristiano trained with the starters after eliminating Switzerland

The Portuguese national side, with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, thrashed Switzerland 6-1 in their round of 16 match at the World Cup in Qatar. Fernando Santos' star, although he did not put in as much effort as his team-mates who were in the starting eleven, did the same work in the next day's training session. This was reported by the newspaper 'Marca'.

Fernando Santos' key player is not injured, but opted for less demanding duties in the Portuguese camp. The team has to prepare for Morocco, who will be their quarter-final opponents because they beat Spain on penalties in their round of 16 clash. In principle, the Europeans will be the favourites, although the Africans are having a remarkable tournament.

The former Manchester United man was seen to be involved in the match against Switzerland, even if he was not there from the first whistle. He ordered them to cheer for the fans when the match was over and, although he was the first to head for the tunnel, that did not mean he was angry. Later, via Instagram, he posted a message praising his compatriots.

Indeed, in his post-match press appearances, his coach and a number of players praised him for his leadership. Going into the Morocco game, he may be far more important on the pitch than psychologically, and it would not be surprising to see him return to the starting line-up to lead his side against a physically strong and in-form national team.