With his head bowed, Ronaldo left the field of the Al Thumama stadium in Doha, where tens of thousands of Moroccans were celebrating in the stands and outside in the street. For the 37-year-old Portuguese, his fifth and last World Cup ended in a huge disappointment. Ronaldo will never be world champion. Hardly anyone expected that the internationals of Morocco still have a chance. The ‘Lions of the Atlas’ needed a goal from Youssef En-Nesri to eliminate Portugal and will be the first African country ever in the semi-finals of a World Cup on Wednesday.
It was a World Cup for Ronaldo to forget quickly. The attacker of Portugal did not get further than one goal from a penalty kick in the group match against Ghana. Although Ronaldo still claimed a goal against Uruguay, FIFA was able to prove through a chip in the ball that he had not hit the ball with his head. Ronaldo was close to the equalizer one more time in the final phase against Morocco, but his effort came up against the excellent goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Much to the delight of the Moroccan supporters.
On the couch again
Ronaldo had started the game on the bench for the second time this World Cup. His teammate Gonçalo Ramos (21) was again preferred by national coach Fernando Santos. After the duel in the eighth final with the Swiss, Ronaldo left the field as a substitute, aggrieved. It even seemed for a moment that he wanted to call it a day. He did not let it get that far and Ronaldo adapted for the match against Morocco in his role as a reserve. The photographers crowded the couch before him. Wearing a brown vest, ‘CR7’ sang the national anthem from the side. With a little less passion than usual.
Before the eyes of Ronaldo, a match between two teams that did not want to take any big risks was unfolding. In that respect, the game was illustrative of the conservative football that prevails at this World Cup. Both teams kept each other in balance for a long time until Morocco surprisingly took the lead in the 42nd minute through a Youssef En-Nesri header. The striker of FC Sevilla towered over the Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa. Ronaldo shook his head on the bench.
At the beginning of the second half, he had to keep fighting along the sidelines. Not a role he’s comfortable with. This became apparent this season as a player of Manchester United, where Dutch coach Erik ten Hag more often than not had a base place for him. Ronaldo repeatedly sought conflict that made his position at the English club untenable. Just before the World Cup, both parties agreed that it was better to break his contract with United. For example, he was one of the few football players at the World Cup in Qatar without a club.
World record
Ronaldo hoped to shine at the World Cup, to take sporting revenge on Ten Hag and Manchester United, and to enforce a new lucrative contract. And above all, maybe win the world championship with Portugal and thus put the Argentinian Lionel Messi in Qatar in his shadow. Ronaldo had not taken into account a role as a substitute. Seven minutes after the break, Santos brought him in instead of Rúben Neves. That meant the 196th international match for Ronaldo, equaling the world record of Bader Al-Mutawa from Kuwait.
Portugal went looking for the equalizer on the basis of Ronaldo. The Portuguese pushed Morocco further and further back, but – just like Spain in the eighth final – had great difficulty finding a hole in the ‘red wall’. Morocco, with the support of the fans, held out with art and flying. Immediately after the final whistle, a popular festival erupted in the streets of Doha. Morocco plays in Qatar for the honor of the entire Arab world.
Ronaldo was mainly out for his own honor in Qatar, but it went wrong for him, just like the previous four World Cups. The future of one of the greatest footballers ever is uncertain. A mega contract would be ready for Ronaldo with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia where he can earn 200 million euros a year. It would make him the highest paid footballer in the world. With distance. Other stars such as Messi and Neymar receive around 70 million euros a year from their club Paris Saint Germain. That will please Ronaldo. An additional advantage for him: a place in the base will be assured at Al-Nassr. Still, he would have preferred to become world champion.
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