Ronaldo said goodbye to his last World Cup: he left the pitch in tears

Portugal missed out on the semi-finals of the World Cup. Fernando Santos' side lost against Morocco in the quarter-finals. Morocco earned a shock 1-0 quarter-final victory over Portugal, the north Africans' joy the stark opposite of Ronaldo's misery.

The Portuguese forward, 37, may never have another chance to win the game's biggest trophy, and his World Cup exit was especially bitter as he started the game as a substitute. With another result Ronaldo might have celebrated levelling the all-time men's international appearance record with his 196th Portugal cap, but his final minutes were desperate.

As soon as the final whistle blew, Ronaldo left, heading down the tunnel with tears streaming down his face, ignoring the Morocco players rushing to their fans to celebrate. Ronaldo, who was a substitute for the second consecutive match, said goodbye in a bitter way to what will almost certainly be his fifth and last World Cup.

The '7' could no longer hold back his tears in the tunnel and he tried to cover his face with his hands.

The footballer, with a security guard accompanying him, left the field in his 22nd World Cup match. It is a record only surpassed by Leo Messi (25), Lother Matthaus (25), Miroslav Klose (24) and Paolo Maldini (23).

 

December 10, 2022