Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA World Cup:
Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA World Cup: After his team’s shocking loss against Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo walked off the field inconsolably, his ambition of helping Portugal win a World Cup crushed. As soon as the referee sounded the full-time whistle, there were conflicting feelings on the field. The Portuguese players were struck speechless, and images of a weeping Ronaldo heading back into the tunnel warmed hearts. Meanwhile, the Moroccans celebrated a remarkable victory that made them the first African country to advance to the World Cup semifinals.
Ronaldo, who is now 37, may have made his final World Cup appearance after sitting out the quarterfinal and then entering as a substitute. Ronaldo’s 196th international appearance matched the record for men overall.
Ronaldo played for Portugal, which won the 2016 Euro. But for one of the all-time greats of the game, lifting the World Cup trophy may now be an unrealized dream.
Ronaldo only got one opportunity at goal on Saturday against Morocco after being brought on as a substitute and was never given any room to move. Now that he has been let down by yet another failure on the largest stage in the game, Ronaldo will now need to make a decision regarding his club future.
A day after Portugal’s shocking quarterfinal loss to Morocco, Cristiano Ronaldo sent a mysterious message on Instagram on Sunday. This was during the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo, who sat out the important game, entered as a second-half substitute but was ineffective because Youssef En Nesyri’s goal in the first half was sufficient to advance Morocco to the semifinals. Ronaldo declared on Instagram that the shocking loss to Morocco had put an end to Portugal’s hopes of winning the World Cup.
“The most ambitious and significant dream of my career was to help Portugal win the World Cup. Fortunately, I was able to win numerous international trophies, including ones for Portugal, but my greatest desire was to elevate the reputation of my nation to the top of the globe “Ronaldo wrote the post’s caption.
Ronaldo, who was competing in his fifth and likely final World Cup, expressed his gratitude to the Portuguese people for their years of support.
“I fought for it. I fought a brave battle for this desire. In my five World Cup appearances over a 16-year span, I gave it everything I had, competing against only the best players and with millions of Portuguese supporters behind me. I just threw it all out there. I never gave up and I never quit pursuing my ambition.”
But the 37-year-old made no comments on his plans for the future.
Sadly, yesterday was the last day of the dream. Strong reactions are not worth it. I just want everyone to know that despite all the discussion, rumor-mongering, and writing, my dedication to Portugal hasn’t changed at all. I was always one more person helping the cause, and I never turned my back on my country or my allies.
There isn’t much more to say at this time. Regards, Portugal. Regards, Qatar. While it was happening, the dream was lovely. It’s now time to act as a decent guide and let everyone come to their own conclusions,” he said.
Notably, Ronaldo is currently a free-agent, after agreeing to terminate his contract with Manchester United by mutual consent.
