Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo’s campaign in the FIFA World Cup 2022 came to a heartbreaking end as his team lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarterfinal on Saturday (December 10). It will probably be the final appearance for Ronaldo in a World Cup game and the footballing superstar ends his career without a world title and without a single goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup.


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Former India skipper Virat Kohli penned an emotional note for Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal forward’s World Cup dream ended. Portugal crashed out of the 2022 World Cup following a 0-1 defeat against Morocco in the quarter-final.


“No trophy or any title can take anything away from what you have done in this sport and for sports fans around the world. No title can explain the impact you have had on people and what I and so many around the world feel when we watch you play,” Kohli wrote on social media. “That is a gift from god. A real blessing to a man who plays his heart out every single time and is the epitome of hard work and dedication and a true inspiration for any sportsperson. You are for me the greatest of all time.”



The defeat to Morocco was almost certainly the 37-year-old's last appearance in football’s showpiece tournament. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star cut a distraught figure as he walked off the pitch in tears immediately after the final whistle.


Ronaldo, who has been capped 195 times and scored a record 118 goals for his country, will be 41 when the next World Cup begins in the United States, Canada and Mexico.


One day after the heartbreaking loss, Ronaldo opened up on Instagram for the first time on Sunday. He praised Qatar, the World Cup host nation, and Portugal and stated the dream was enjoyable while it lasted.


“Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career. Fortunately, I won many titles of international dimension, including for Portugal, but putting the name of our country on the highest level in the world was my biggest dream,” Ronaldo captioned the post.


“I fought for it. I fought hard for this dream. In the 5 presences that I scored in World Cups over 16 years, always alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese people, I gave my all. I left everything on the field. I never turned my face to the fight and I never gave up on that dream,” he further added.


“Unfortunately, yesterday the dream ended. It is not worth reacting hot. I just want everyone to know that much has been said, much has been written, much has been speculated, but my dedication to Portugal has not changed for an instant. I was always one more person fighting for everyone’s goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.”


(With Agency inputs)