Did Cristiano Ronaldo try to break Thiago Silva’s leg?

A war of words has broken out in the aftermath of Brazil’s crushing 6-2 victory over Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo being called out for reckless and dirty challenges during the friendly match on Wednesday night.

The main accusation, made by Fluminense’s 24-year old defender Thiago Silva, was that Ronaldo tried to break his leg.

Silva said: “He [Cristiano Ronaldo] has the cheek to say I jumped over his tackle. But if I did not jump he would have broken my leg. Being considered the best player in the world, he must have more respect. It is difficult to accept what he did. He is a little [naughty], yes. But that is football. And we need to know to deal with it. He was nervous because he couldn’t create anything.”

Ronaldo was also caught grabbing Marcelo round the neck.

Video highlights of Ronaldo’s performance against Brazil can be seen here, with the Thiago Silva challenge arriving 4.28 minutes into the video.