A day after he left the field in tears after Portugal lost 0-1 to Morocco in the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has put up a cryptic post on Instagram stating that his dream of winning the World Cup with Portugal has ended.
His response, though alluded to his team's World Cup exit, stopped short of mentioning his possible retirement.
"There's no point in reacting rashly, Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. I just want everybody to know that a lot has been said, a lot has been written, a lot has been speculated about, but my dedication to Portugal has never wavered for an instant."
"I've always been just one more (Portuguese) fighting for everyone's goal. I would never turn my back on my teammates or my country," his post read.
Ronaldo's post comes amid reports that he threatened to leave the tournament after being told he would not start against Switzerland. According to a report that appeared in the Portuguese publication Record, the player was unhappy with manager Fernando Santos over the latter's decision to drop him to the bench for the win over Switzerland.
However, both the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and Santos denied that had happened, according to BBC.
In his post, Ronaldo added that putting Portugal on the highest level in the world was his biggest dream. "In my five appearances at World Cups over 16 years, always playing alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I have given my all," he wrote.
"I left everything I had on the pitch. I'll never shrink from a battle and I have never given up on that dream."
"Unfortunately, that dream ended yesterday," he added.
"For now, there's not much more to say. Thank you, Portugal. Thank you, Qatar. The dream was beautiful while it lasted... Now, we have to let time be a good adviser and allow everyone to draw their own conclusions."
The striker became the first male player to score at five World Cups in Qatar World Cup after his penalty against Ghana in the opening group game. That was his only goal at the tournament.
The next major tournament is the European Championship in 2024 and the next World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026, by which time Ronaldo will be 41 years old.
Ronaldo, who left Manchester United during the World Cup after he gave an explosive interview where he criticized the manager, board and his teammates, is currently without a club.
