As we continue to chronicle the exit of the two of the greatest players of all time from the 2018 World Cup on the highest-scoring day of World Cup knockout football since 1970, we move to the exit of the super talented Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo.
For Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, their inability to make decisive impacts in their teams’ last-16 matches means their tournaments – and perhaps their hopes of claiming the game’s biggest prize – are over.
Defeats for Argentina against France, and Portugal against Uruguay, leave the pair – aged 31 and 33 respectively – knowing the chances that they will ever be able to call themselves World Cup winners have dropped sharply.
When Ronaldo curled in that sensational free-kick to complete his hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Spain in Portugal’s opening fixture, you wondered if this tournament – and the Golden Boot – might be defined by the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. He carried his blistering form into the victory over Morocco, but missed a penalty – and might have been sent off – in the draw with Iran that took them through to the knockout stage.
And, like Messi, he could do nothing to help his side avoid defeat in the last 16, as Edinson Cavani scored twice in Uruguay’s 2-1 win. So is this the end for Ronaldo, a European champion in 2016, at international level?
Portugal boss Fernando Santos insisted afterwards his captain “still has a lot to give to football” and may not yet be ready to retire from the national team. “There is a tournament in September [the Uefa Nations League] and we hope Cristiano will be with us to help the players grow,” he added. “It’s important to have a captain present there and he’s always there for us.”
Photo Credit: Getty
