Cristiano Ronaldo left the field in tears as Portugal exited the 2022 World Cup at the hands of Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
It was likely the last World Cup match for the 37-year-old Ronaldo, and probably his last chance to win football’s biggest prize.
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When it mattered most, he couldn’t conjure up the kind of soccer magic that has made him one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
Ronaldo was dropped from the starting lineup for the second straight match on Saturday. The five-time player of the year came on as a substitute in the second half with his team already trailing, but his one real chance was saved easily by the opposing goalkeeper. In the end, Morocco beat the Portuguese 1-0 to become the first African team to reach the tournament’s semifinals.
It was a sad ending for Ronaldo on the day he made his 196th international appearance, tied for the most in the men’s game with Kuwait forward Badr Al-Mutawa. He leaves Qatar as the only player to have scored in five World Cups but remains with eight goals at the tournament, one shy of Eusébio’s record with Portugal.
