Cristiano Ronaldo‘s rift with Manchester United will not derail Portugal‘s World Cup campaign, according to Benfica midfielder Joao Mario.
The five-time Ballon d’Or or winner accused United of trying to force him out of the club in the summer in an explosive TV interview on Sunday, just one day before he arrived to the national team training camp in Oeiras, Lisbon.
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“I don’t see a problem with the timing [of Ronaldo’s interview] so it’s fine for us,” Joao Mario told a news conference on Tuesday. “I don’t think it puts further pressure on him or on us. We’re used to dealing with great pressure.
“It’s not the first time that a player comes to the national team having a problem with his club. One of the advantages is that we put everything to the side when being here. When we get to the national team, it’s another working group and we try to focus on what’s most important.
