Image courtesy: fifaworldcup/Twitter
Following the full-time whistle, there were struggling feelings on the field. The Portuguese players were struck speechless, and images of a sad Ronaldo heading back through the tunnel won hearts as the Moroccans celebrated a shock victory that sent them to the World Cup semifinals as the first African nation.
Portuguese fans in Kerala, India, were devastated by Portugal’s defeat to Morocco in the quarterfinals. Despite having a star-studded lineup, Portugal was unable to defeat Morocco. The defeat for Portugal has now angered these Indian supporters. A life-size poster of Ronaldo was vandalised as a means of expressing their rage, as reported by TOI.
This is Kerala 😳#IndianFootball #Ronaldo #Kerala #football pic.twitter.com/fuEDoQrXVG
— Abhradip Mandal (@MandalAbhradip) December 13, 2022
After waiting out the quarterfinal and coming on as a substitute, Ronaldo, who is now 37, may have made his final World Cup participation. Ronaldo tied the record for men as a whole with his 196th international appearance.
Ronaldo was a member of the Portugal squad that won the 2016 Euro. For one of the greatest players ever, however, lifting the World Cup trophy may still be an unrealized dream. He only had one opportunity at goal on Saturday against Morocco after being substituted in, and he was never given a free shot.