Cristiano Ronaldo will retire from international duties with a record of failing to score in the World Cup knockout stage for the fifth time.
The former Manchester United striker came in the 51st of the second half against Morocco and was stopped by the Atlas defenders, who were very difficult to score against.
Cristiano Ronaldo came into the tournament with the hope of winning for the first time in his career and left the pitch in tears.
Although Cristiano Ronaldo told Piers Morgan in the explosive interview before the World Cup that he wants to play until he’s 40 years old, he will be 41 years old in 2026.
Ronaldo started the campaign by scoring a penalty against Ghana that ended in a 3-2 win for the Portuguese side, and he became the first player to score in five World Cups.
In subsequent matches, Ronaldo failed to impress the manager against Uruguay, South Korea and Switzerland where he started from the bench.
Cristiano Ronaldo had little chance of scoring and failed, but the Moroccan goalkeeper Bounou, who is in the form of his life, pulled off a low save to deny Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score against Germany, the Netherlands, England, France, Spain, Morocco, Uruguay, and Switzerland.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo Lost His Place In The Starting 11
In the 65th minute of Portugal’s final group match against South Korea, a frustrated Ronaldo was replaced.
He made the sign for “be silent” by putting his finger to his lips.
Whatever the cause, the 37-year-old has reacted angrily to being substituted out of a game before. He later claimed that Cho Gue-sung of Korea had told him to hurry up and leave the field.
The manager was not really happy with Ronaldo attitude and decided to put him on bench in subsequent games.