Cristiano Ronaldo sobbed as his Portugal team was defeated 1-0 by Morocco in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday, ending his hopes of winning the tournament for the first time in his career.
Ronaldo was seen being escorted by a member of staff from the pitch at the Al Thumama Stadium to the Portugal team dressing room immediately following the defeat – the first time an African team has reached the World Cup semifinals – as the 37-year-old was unable to contain his emotions.
Ronaldo made his final World Cup appearance as a substitute in Portugal’s round of 16 and quarterfinal games after being benched by coach Fernando Santos.
Ronaldo came on early in the second half of Portugal’s match against the Atlas Lions, but it was in vain as Youssef En-first-half Nesyri’s header proved decisive.
Ronaldo’s 196th appearance for Portugal tied him with Bader Al-Mutawa of Kuwait for the most caps in men’s international football history.
If this is Ronaldo’s final World Cup appearance, he has certainly left his mark on the tournament over the years.
Ronaldo scored eight goals in 22 games at the finals, and earlier in the tournament, the 37-year-old became the first men’s player to score in five World Cups.
However, his benching by Santos and his recent contract termination from Manchester United, announced just before the World Cup began, arguably overshadowed Ronaldo’s time in Qatar 2022, where he scored just one goal.
SOURCE: edition.cnn.com