After being dropped to the bench for Portugal's two knockout matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted to his nation crashing out of the competition with a lengthy social media post.
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The 37-year-old was introduced as a second-half substitute in A Selecao's 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the quarter-final this past weekend but could not inspire his compatriots to a comeback.
Ronaldo also started on the bench in their 6-1 drubbing of Switzerland in the round of 16, with head coach Fernando Santos sticking to his guns in preparation for their last eight clash against the Atlas Lions.
The former Manchester United forward was seen in tears as he made his way down the tunnel shortly after the final whistle, and has now sent fans a long message on Instagram in which he insists he never turned his back on Portugal.
"Winning a World Cup for Portugal was the biggest and most ambitious dream of my career," he wrote, according to The Athletic.
"Fortunately, I won many titles of international dimension, including for Portugal, but to place the name of our country in the highest level of the world was my biggest dream.
"I fought for that. I fought hard for that dream. In the five times I made appearances in World Cups over 16 years, always alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese people, I gave everything. I gave everything on the pitch. I never turned my back on the fight and I never gave up on that dream.
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"Unfortunately, [on Saturday] the dream ended. There's no point in reacting hotly. I just want everyone to know that a lot was said, a lot was written, a lot was speculated, but my dedication to Portugal didn't change for an instant. I was always one fighting for everyone's goal and I would never turn my back on my teammates and my country.
"For now, there is not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted… Now, let's hope that time will be a good advisor and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions."
Ronaldo's international future appears unclear at present, as does Santos', who is reportedly set to hold crunch talks with the Portuguese Football Federation over the coming days.
The ex-Real Madrid talisman scored just one goal in Qatar, a penalty in Portugal's thrilling 3-2 victory over Ghana in the group stage of the tournament.
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