One of the greatest, or perhaps, the greatest footballer of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo saw his FIFA World Cup dream come to a heart-shattering end after Morocco registered a fabulous 1-0 victory over Portugal in the quarter-final on December 10 (Saturday). Five World Cup appearances for the Portuguese phenomenon and he, in all likelihood, will walk away from the sport without winning football's biggest prize. After the referee blew the final whistle, Ronaldo sunk to the ground with tears rolling down his eyes after suffering probably the biggest dejection of his glittering career. Ronaldo's pain was obvious, and the tears flowed as he was escorted down the tunnel towards Portugal's dressing room.
Watch the video here:
He made history in Qatar by becoming the first player to score in five World Cup tournaments, having netted in each edition since 2006. That landmark goal was a penalty in the group stage against Ghana.
Ronaldo will be 41 by the time of the next World Cup, and he is fast declining as a force, so it would be fanciful to even suggest that as a target.
He has spoken about wanting to play on until Euro 2024, but even that may be pushing it, given he is no longer a first-choice selection.
Freed by Manchester United recently after a turbulent start to the second season of his second spell with the Red Devils, it remains to be seen where Ronaldo will continue his career.
Against Morocco, as versus Switzerland in the last-16 stage, Ronaldo was only a substitute. He came off the bench early in the second half of the quarter-final, with Portugal needing a goal, but had just 10 touches of the ball and one shot.
It has reached tributes time for Ronaldo's career, with the FIFA World Cup's Portuguese Twitter page posting: "A myth. A legend. A machine. Thank you @Cristiano"
