India cricketer Virat Kohli paid an emotional tribute to Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo after the 37-year-old's exit from the FIFA World Cup 2022 after losing 1-0 to Morocco in the Quarterfinals. After the match, the mega superstar was seen in tears in the dressing room, having unceremoniously ended what could have been an illustrious World Cup career.
After the defeat, Ronaldo broke his silence on Sunday, and said that his biggest dream of winning the World Cup with, and for Portugal had now come to an end. The post that he shared on Instagram has since gone viral with fans and athletes flooding the comment section with messages of support.
Joining in the tributes was Virat Kohli, who is currently with the national team on the Bangladesh tour. Kohli wrote that no titles or trophies can diminish Ronaldo's contribution to football as fans have rightly named him the ‘Greatest Of All Time’.
“No trophy or any title can take anything away from what you’ve done in this sport and for sports fans around the world. No title can explain the impact you’ve had on people and what I and so many around the world feel when we watch you play," Kohli posted on Instagram.
“That’s a gift from god. A real blessing to a man who plays his heart out every single time and is the epitome of hard work, dedication, and a true inspiration for any sportsperson. You are for me the greatest of all time," he added.
Kohli’s post has since gone viral.
After his disappointing World Cup campaign, Ronaldo himself took to Instagram and said that he will not react in the heat of the moment, saying his dedication to Portugal has never wavered. “There’s no point in reacting rashly,” Ronaldo wrote. “I just want everybody to know that a lot has been said, a lot has been written, a lot has been speculated about, but my dedication to Portugal has never wavered for an instant."
“I’ve always been just one more (Portuguese) fighting for everyone’s goal. I would never turn my back on my teammates or my country," he added.
“In my five appearances at World Cups over 16 years, always playing alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I have given my all. I left everything I had on the pitch. I’ll never shrink from a battle, and I have never given up on that dream. Unfortunately, that dream ended yesterday," he said.
