Spain captain Rodri has apologized to his former Manchester City teammate Bernardo Silva following a confrontation during Spain's 1-0 World Cup victory over Portugal on Monday. The incident occurred after Silva missed a late header that could have equalized for Portugal.
Mikel Merino's goal in stoppage time secured Spain's progression to the quarter-finals, ending Portugal's World Cup campaign. After Silva's missed opportunity, Rodri, who was Spain's captain, approached Silva as he lay on the ground and celebrated animatedly.
Silva reacted by pushing Rodri away, and the Portuguese player was then restrained by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon. Rodri later addressed the incident, stating, "I apologize to Bernardo. I was celebrating his miss at the end. It was my fault."
The pair shared a successful period at Manchester City, winning 11 trophies together. It was recently announced that Silva will join Real Madrid next season after his contract with City expired. Rodri has indicated he will decide his future at City after the World Cup, with Real Madrid also linked to him.
Rodri has one year remaining on his contract and has previously expressed a desire to return to play in Spain. "With a World Cup ahead, my responsibility is to stay focused," he said in June. "Anything related to my future will wait until after the World Cup."
For Portugal, the loss marks the final World Cup appearance for Cristiano Ronaldo. He touched the ball only 19 times during the match. Ronaldo expressed his sadness at the elimination, calling it the end of his dream of winning the World Cup, a trophy that has eluded him. "It was my last World Cup, yes," he said. "But as for the rest, there's time to think, to be with my family and not say things in the heat of the moment. I've given my all. I've won three titles with Portugal. The 2016 (Euros) title is on the same level as a World Cup."
Spain is scheduled to play Belgium in the quarter-finals on Friday. The winner will advance to face either France or Morocco in the semi-finals.