Rumors of discord within the national team, quarterfinal failure... Ronaldo's Qatar World Cup ended in tears

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Failure to advance to the semifinals of the World Cup, invincibility during the World Cup, rumors of discord within the national team, etc. Cristiano Ronaldo (37), tied for first place in the men’s soccer player’s A-match career, ended the Qatar World Cup in tears.

Portugal lost 0-1 to Morocco in the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar against Morocco held at Altumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar on the 11th (Korean time).

With this, Ronaldo’s final challenge to the top of the World Cup was also completed.

Starting with the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Ronaldo’s best performance in five consecutive World Cups was 4th in the World Cup in Germany.

Even before the start of the tournament, Ronaldo and Portugal could not concentrate on the tournament due to the chaotic atmosphere. Ahead of the tournament, Ronaldo appeared on the British TV talk show ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ and said: “Man United betrayed me. Some people don’t seem to want me here. Not just this year, but last year as well. It was time,” he said, criticizing his team at the time, Manchester United.

Ronaldo also shot Manchester United manager Eric ten Haag. Ronaldo criticized manager Ten Hag, saying, “He has no respect whatsoever,” and “didn’t respect me because he didn’t show me any respect.” Due to this, even though his contract period remains, he was released from Man Utd, and rumors of a feud with Bruno Fernandes, who played at Man Utd, came out.

[좌절한 호날두. 사진=AP·연합뉴스]

Still, if I was good at soccer, there wouldn’t be a problem. Ronaldo played in all five matches for Portugal in this tournament and scored only one goal. It was also a goal scored from a penalty kick in the first leg of the group stage against Ghana, and there were no field goals. He was sluggish in the match against Korea in the third game, and he gave an assist to Kim Young-kwon’s equalizer with his back, providing an excuse for a come-from-behind defeat (Korea won 2-1), and then was replaced and resigned.

In the end, Portuguese national team coach Fernando Santos removed Ronaldo’s name from the starting list for the round of 16 match against Switzerland. Ronaldo’s position was further narrowed when 21-year-old Gonzalo Hamus, who started in place of Ronaldo, scored a hat-trick.

In the quarterfinals on the 11th (Korean time), he started on the bench and was substituted in the second half, showing his longing for a goal until the end, but he could not turn the tide.

In the end, after Portugal lost 0-1 to Morocco, Ronaldo went to the locker room alone after the game, weeping. Ronaldo’s girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, who came to the stadium to support Ronaldo, said on her Instagram, “Today your teammate and manager made the wrong decision. We saw how things changed when Ronaldo came on, but it was too late.” “The best player in the world should not be underestimated.”

Ronaldo finished his World Cup without winning, and this World Cup would have been recorded as the worst World Cup for Ronaldo.