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Tearful Ronaldo a passenger as World Cup dream slips away
Portugal 0-1 Spain
When the end finally came for Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream, he was as powerless to prevent it as any of the 70,000 spectators in the stands in Dallas. Ronaldo has spent two decades shaping matches and determining outcomes but here he was peripheral, almost to the point of absence, as Spain claimed a dramatic round-of-16 victory.
It was Mikel Merino, the Arsenal midfielder, who delivered the fatal blow to Ronaldo’s hopes of ever winning this tournament. Ronaldo had said before the match that he “won’t be more Cristiano or less Cristiano if I win the World Cup or not” but we can be absolutely certain that he craved success here, with all of his being. Lionel Messi, after all, has one of these trophies. Ronaldo does not.
Now, thanks to Merino’s typically composed finish in stoppage time, Ronaldo never will join the pantheon of elite players who triumphed on the world’s greatest stage. At the full-time whistle, he was holding back tears. Some will find that sad, given the quality and longevity of the man. Others, though, will say he simply did not deserve to progress any further in the tournament.
The 41-year-old has scored three goals at this World Cup but the feeling remains that he has been more of a hindrance than a help for Roberto Martinez’s side. From Porto to Faro, they will ask once again whether it was really worth sacrificing this exciting young team on the altar of an ageing hero. Portugal have some fabulous talents in their squad, but none were able to function at their best with Ronaldo in front of them.
It said it all that Gonçalo Ramos, the 25-year-old Portuguese striker with such an impressive record at World Cup finals, did not play a single minute of this defeat by Spain. Ramos averages a goal or assist every 37 minutes at the World Cup, which makes him Portugal’s most effective ever player on this stage, but here he could only watch from the bench as Ronaldo ambled around fruitlessly.
Ronaldo finished the match with only 19 touches, the fewest of any player who started. That spoke volumes of his lack of influence, as did the promising second-half counter-attack which died when the ball reached his feet. With space to run into, and team-mates hurtling forward alongside him, Ronaldo inexplicably turned around and passed the ball backwards. Even the excitable Dallas crowd, so eager to see this global icon in action, groaned at that one.
The difference between Spain and Portugal was obvious and predictable. Spain are an impressive collective force, with no individual star. Portugal, by contrast, still seem to revolve around their captain, despite having plenty of other attackers who appear far more likely to unpick the opposition’s defence.
After the game, Martinez confirmed that this was his final match as Portugal’s manager. “My contract ends today,” he said. “It’s the end of a cycle. It’s important to have a new voice. I gave my entire life [to the job]. I came to Portugal with the objective of winning the World Cup. Because I have not won it, it would not have made sense to continue.”
Martinez went out defending Ronaldo, describing him as a “football icon” who “set an amazing example as captain”. He also said it would have made “no sense” to substitute Ronaldo in this match. To put it bluntly, many observers in Portugal and beyond simply would not agree.
For Spain, this was a 35th consecutive match without defeat. Their manager, Luis de la Fuente, has built a team that is mature, committed and tactically astute. They may not be quite as thrilling as they were two years ago, when they won Euro 2024, but they will be incredibly difficult to beat. “We have a fantastic, competitive team that fights to the very end,” said De la Fuente. “I am very proud of this.”
Merino’s 91st-minute finish, from a smart Ferran Torres pass, was a rare moment of attacking quality in a second half that had become frustratingly sterile. The opening exchanges had been more exciting, as Mikel Oyarzabal went close for Spain and Nuno Mendes struck the bar with a deflected effort for Portugal.
Merino was the star for Spain but another Premier League midfielder, Manchester City’s Rodri, was equally important. “He is the axis,” said De la Fuente. “He begins many attacking situations. That is why he is the best player in the world at his position.”
Ronaldo used to know the feeling that Rodri had here, of being a player who can bend matches to his will. He may still be able to do that in Saudi Arabia, where he struck 30 goals last season, but he can no longer do it at the highest level. Time comes for us all.
[Source: Daily Telegraph]
