Cristiano Ronaldo leaves pitch in tears as Portugal crash out of 2022 FIFA World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch in tears as Portugal crashed out of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, following their shock loss against underdogs Morocco on Saturday, December 10.
The north African nation pulled off a wonderful feat as they dominated the Selecao in the first half, before showcasing an impressive defense to keep them silent in the second.
The lone goal from Youssef En-Nesyri on the stroke of half-time was enough to see the Atlas Lions through, with Cristiano Ronaldo unable to turn things around in the second half.
The Portuguese forward was notably kept on the bench at the start of the game, only coming on with 51 minutes on the clock. While he did have a massive chance of securing an equalizer in normal time, he failed to get his shot past Yassine Bounou.
The eventual 1-0 result saw Portugal crash out of Qatar, with the slot in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals going to Morocco instead. Cristiano Ronaldo looked devastated as he was captured in tears:
Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the pitch in tears after Portugal lose to Morocco.
#FIFAWorldCup. https://t.co/YOp5UO7o8T
With Ronaldo now 37, this edition of the World Cup will likely mark his last time in the competition, and A Selecao's inability to reach the final will upset him.
The forward has notably won everything imaginable at the echelons of European football, racking up titles and trophies in England, Spain, and Italy.
The end of the story
Ronaldo 💔💔
#CR7𓃵 twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/EIvSqBnhWW
However, the FIFA World Cup has proven elusive once more, and Ronaldo will now end his career without the biggest trophy in global football to crown his achievements.
"I didn't like it" - Portugal manager on Cristiano Ronaldo's reaction after South Korea in FIFA World Cup 2022
Following their final group stage match against South Korea, Portugal manager Fernando Santos revealed that he was not pleased with Ronaldo's reaction during the game.
The 37-year-old forward reacted angrily to being substituted off, and Santos expressed his disappointment in the superstar to the press (via Marca):
"Have I already watched the footage? Yes. I didn't like it. I didn't like it at all. From there, it's things you sort out internally, it was sorted out this way, and now we think about the game tomorrow. Everyone is focused on the game."
This eventually saw Ronaldo benched for their round-of-16 match against Switzerland, and it was little surprise the 37-year-old was benched against Morocco. He did come on as a substitute in both games but did little to aid the team's progression.