Morocco Makes History, Ends Ronaldo’s World Cup Dream in Quarterfinal Upset

It’s a time of regret for Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo, who was participating in his fifth and probably last World Cup. In a long message posted on his Instagram account, he expresses his feelings after Portugal’s defeat against Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. "Hopefully time will be a good counselor and allow everyone to draw their conclusions. [...] Winning the World Cup with Portugal was the greatest and most ambitious dream of my career. I fought a lot for this dream" but "unfortunately the dream ended yesterday (Saturday)," lamented the 37-year-old player.

Just after Portugal’s elimination, as he was heading alone towards the locker rooms, the free agent striker burst into tears. He came to the realization that he will never win the World Cup with his country. A trophy that is missing from his trophy cabinet. A sad reality then for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner who has been experiencing moments of sadness for a few weeks. His club Manchester United terminated his contract and he was relegated to the bench for the last two World Cup matches. His only moral satisfaction: after coming on in the 51st minute in the quarter-finals, Cristiano Ronaldo became co-record holder for the most international caps (196, for 118 goals), among all nations recognized by FIFA. A record that was previously held by Kuwaiti Bader al-Mutawa.