Tearful Ronaldo the lasting image of Portugal World Cup debacle

DOHA - Cristiano Ronaldo running to the tunnel in tears and as desolate as the football world has ever seen him will be the lasting image for Portugal fans looking back on the World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo, a five-times Ballon D'Or winner, arrived with a mission to prove he could still make a difference. He ended the tournament, however, as a bench player and had no impact as a substitute in his team's 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco. It was another tale of hope turned to disappointment, controversy and under-achievement on the biggest stage for Ronaldo, who was playing his fifth World Cup and hoping it would set him up for new opportunities after his departure from Manchester United. Portugal are used to having Ronaldo as the centre of attention. He is one of the greatest forwards of all time, a figure so big he has raised the bar and lifted the standard of sport in his country. Ironically, in a Portugal team full of stand-out players, Ronaldo fell victim to the abundance of options that coach Fernando Santos had at his disposal. Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 118 goals in 195 appearances, Ronaldo was benched for Tuesday’s 6-1 win over Switzerland and the 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos netted a hat-trick in only his fourth game for his country. He stayed on the bench against Morocco and left the tournament as the face of a new international debacle for his country. His coach and team mates denied that Ronaldo’s disputes with Manchester United just before the World Cup caused a distraction in the changing room, but it is hard to believe that his explosive TV interview had no impact on the squad. Coach Santos said after the Morocco loss that he does not regret leaving Ronaldo on the bench and repeatedly explained that his decisions were tactical, raising questions about whether Ronaldo’s brilliant career is nearing a bitter end. Before the World Cup, Ronaldo refused to say that the tournament in Qatar would be his last and he was already looking ahead to the 2024 European Championship. The 37-year-old is unlikely to retire yet but it remains to be seen where his future lies, with Spanish and English media reporting that he is closing on a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a contract worth a staggering 173 million pounds ($211.65 million) per year. Santos also denied that he was stepping down from his job, saying he will talk to the Portuguese FA president about his future. With or without Ronaldo, Portugal's future at least looks bright as they have a strong generation of talent with a good mixture of youngsters like Ramos and Joao Felix and outstanding players in their prime such as Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva. (Reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Ed Osmond)

Tearful Ronaldo the lasting image of Portugal World Cup debacle

DISCOVER MORE

Messi scores 100th Argentina goal in Curacao romp

IPL returns as Mumbai eye sixth title

Five players to watch in the IPL

Renard steps down as Saudi national team coach

IPL 2023: Teams, captains and key players

Borre stunner gives Colombia friendly win over Japan

England skipper Stokes set to start IPL as batsman only - Hussey

IOC's Bach says Russian participation in sports 'works' despite war

BP and UAE's ADNOC bid for stake in NewMed Energy

UAE banking sector to remain stable in 2023 – KPMG

UAE approves 24 national initiatives to double re-export industry

Saudi’s fintech sector starts to rival UAE, Egypt as number of firms nearly doubles

Saudi banks likely to remain profitable in 2023 – A&M

Messi statue to stand next to Maradona, Pele at CONMEBOL museum

City's Rodri ready to renew club rivalry when Spain face Scotland

Chelsea say Abramovich sanctions a factor in losses

England see off Ukraine in Euro qualifying, Ronaldo nets double

Naples paints the town blue for first Scudetto since Maradona era

LATEST VIDEO

VIDEO: Why is China's Belt and Road Initiative facing setbacks?

ZAWYA COVERAGE

Africa's five cities hold more than 50% of continent's private wealth

UAE approves 24 national initiatives to double re-export industry

Saudi Industrial Investment Group to acquire stake in Danish firm Unibio for $70mln

VIDEO: Why is China's Belt and Road Initiative facing setbacks?

UAE weather: Cloudy day, humid night ahead; temperatures to drop to 21°C

Wednesday Outlook: Asian stocks rally as banking anxiety eases; dollar on the defensive

U.S. FDIC tells Signature Bank's crypto clients to close accounts by April 5

US consumer finance chief calls for better risk management at banks, fintechs

US Stocks: Wall Street ends down with tech; investors assess bank comments

THE BRI REPORT

China is reshaping the Belt and Road Initiative ahead of a post-pandemic era

DISCOVER MORE

LATEST VIDEO

ZAWYA NEWSLETTERS

ZAWYA COVERAGE