DOHA, Qatar (AP) — There will be no World Cup title for cristiano ronaldo in what was probably his last appearance in soccer’s biggest tournament.
After coming on the bench at the start for the second game in a row, Ronaldo was unable to help Portugal come from behind against Morocco, losing 1-0 in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
Ronaldo, 37, left the field crying.
Ronaldo came on as a substitute early in the second half with his team already trailing. He came on for midfielder Rúben Neves in the 51st minute for his 196th appearance for the men’s national team, the most all-time along with Kuwaiti striker Badr Al-Mutawa.
Ronaldo, playing in his fifth and likely last World Cup, had also been on the bench to start in the round of 16 against Switzerland, appearing as a substitute.
Morocco took the lead on Saturday through Youssef En-Nesyri’s header in the 42nd minute.
Ronaldo was one of the first changes Portugal coach Fernando Santos made, and after receiving the captain’s armband from defender Pepe, he took to the field and began cheering on his teammates. As time was running out, he too raised his arms to the Portuguese fans, heavily outnumbered by the Moroccans, and asked for their support.
Ronaldo helped increase the intensity of Portugal’s attack, which had struggled to overcome the well-organized Moroccan defence. He immediately created a chance with a cross into the box, and soon after lost possession. He also set up a shot from João Félix in minute 82, but his teammate’s shot was saved. Ronaldo’s last-gasp shot in stoppage time was also saved.
Ronaldo walked off the field after the final whistle and began to cry as he entered the tunnel to the changing rooms.
Some Moroccan players had come to console him, but there were no Portugal teammates by his side as he walked away. Most of them had stayed on the field and went to the Portuguese fans to thank them for their support.
Santos patted Ronaldo on the back as he brushed past him near the touchline.
Ronaldo had said before the World Cup that he did not plan to retire from the Portuguese team after the Qatar tournament, and that he planned to play at least the Euro 2024.
He was left with eight goals in the World Cup, one less than Eusébio’s record with Portugal in the tournament.
gonzalo ramoswho scored a hat trick on Tuesday in Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland in his first start with Portugal, he was again selected ahead of Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was left out of the line-up against the Swiss after Santos expressed his frustration at his team captain’s attitude in the previous match.
Santos later said that Ronaldo was “not happy” at being told he was being benched, but never threatened to quit the World Cup because of the decision.
Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in international men’s soccer with 118 goals, finally came on as a 74th-minute replacement. He seemed somewhat disconnected from the rest of the team after the match.
Ronaldo was coming off a lackluster performance in the group stage, although he did score in a 3-2 win over Ghana. becoming the first player to score in five World Cups. He has played in every edition of the tournament since 2006.
The other starters for Portugal against Morocco at the Al Thumama stadium were João Félix, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Otávio.
Portugal was trying to reach the quarterfinals for the third time, having finished third in 1966 and fourth in 2006. The team hadn’t made it past the round of 16 since that tournament in Germany 16 years ago.
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