TEXAS (United States) — Cristiano Ronaldo laboured through his last World Cup match as the dream of winning the biggest prize of all ended in a 1-0 defeat to Spain and left him fighting back tears.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain and one of the best players of all time says he will now go away and think about what comes next.
He has won it all in a trophy-laden career at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and tasted European glory with his country.
But among his bulging trophy cabinet, there will be no World Cup winner’s medal, and he was largely ineffectual as he huffed and puffed through a disappointing last-16 clash in Texas.
“That’s football, that’s the life of a footballer,” he said, struggling to raise his voice above the crushing disappointment.
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and you have to move on,” he added according to AFP.
Ronaldo, the leading scorer in the history of men’s international football, said he would leave the World Cup stage “with a clear conscience”.
“The truth is, the biggest title I won with the national team was in 2016 (Euros), which for me is just as significant as a World Cup, honestly,” he said.
His display in a disappointing game summed up what the veteran talisman has become in recent years – a shadow of the player who once struck fear into opponents.
He had three attempts at goal and was a peripheral figure playing through the centre of an ineffectual Portugal attack.
He scored three times at the tournament in North America in his World Cup farewell – twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan and from a penalty against Croatia in the last 32.
Ronaldo did not register a single assist at the tournament, and at one point against Spain, threw his hands up in the air as a teammate’s pass went astray.
