Cristiano Ronaldo expressed his solidarity with his team despite all the speculation about his international football future after Portugal’s heartbreaking exit from the round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup against Spain. Cristiano, playing his last ever World Cup as announced before facing Spain, was once again forced to leave the field with sadness on his face and tears in his eyes after Mikel Merino’s late winner and numerous missed chances from his side, including from him and Bruno Fernandes, left Portugal struggling again, marking the end of the legendary striker’s career on the sport’s greatest stage.
Cristiano, who did not give any hint about his international future after the loss, posted on Instagram a picture of his team saying: “Portugal Semper,” meaning “Portugal forever.” After the match, Cristiano said that although it was his last World Cup match, he would not make “reckless decisions” about his future in a Portugal shirt.
Since Cristiano’s debut at the major tournament, Portugal have achieved a fourth-place finish in their first tournament in 2006, followed by a round-of-16 finish in the 2010 edition, then a group stage exit in 2014 and then another exit before the quarter-finals in 2018. The 2022 edition saw Portugal perform slightly better, reaching the quarter-finals, but it was long-time rival Lionel Messi who largely ended the ‘GOAT’ debate by capturing World Cup. The prestigious cup for Argentina and an exciting performance in the final.
Cristiano’s FIFA World Cup campaign ended with 27 appearances (the second most by a player) and just 11 goals scored, which is disappointing for a player of his stature and level of achievements with the club. Heading into the tournament, there were a lot of questions about Cristiano’s participation, but as an individual, he had a good game, scoring three goals in five matches in this edition. However, during his last match, he set an unfortunate record, scoring 17 shots during the FIFA World Cup, without creating any chances for his teammates, the most of any player.
The ongoing tournament, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, has seen Cristiano storm the record books once again despite the dips and give the world a statement of his longevity.
Against Croatia in the Round of 32, a match which Portugal won 2-1, CR7 became the first player in history to feature in a FIFA World Cup knockout match aged 41 or over. The match also marked a unique milestone, as it was the first in the history of the World Cup to involve two players aged 40 or over, with Ronaldo facing his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric.
His appearance also saw him extend another record, as he became the oldest scorer in World Cup knockout history at the age of 41 years and 147 days, underscoring his longevity and lasting influence at the highest level. This was also his first ever goal in the FIFA World Cup knockout stages, removing a huge stain from his illustrious career.
Portugal started with a dull 1-1 draw against DR Congo in the group stage, with Cristiano failing to make any impact and attracting a lot of criticism for his poor performance.
During the match against Uzbekistan, which ended in a 5-0 victory, Ronaldo led Portugal’s attack with two goals, and Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also scored. An own goal scored by Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abdulvahid Nematov added to the misery for coach Fabio Cannavaro’s side, as Roberto Martinez’s men achieved their first win of the tournament in emphatic fashion.
Ronaldo’s brace saw him become Portugal’s all-time top scorer in World Cup history, taking his tally to 10 goals, surpassing Eusebio’s record of nine goals. Eusebio, a Portuguese legend and winner of the Ballon d’Or in 1965, led the team to third place in the 1966 World Cup. Behind Ronaldo and Eusebio, Pauleta is Portugal’s third top scorer in the World Cup with four goals.
Ronaldo also became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments, ending his 10-game goalless streak in major competitions (FIFA World Cup and Euro Championship). Portugal finished the group stage with a goalless draw with Colombia.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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