The Portugal icon and all-time great’s sharp shot at goal was saved, but he looked like the footballer he has become—one who is past his prime.
Cristiano Ronaldo conjured a vision from the past for maybe three seconds. He hurried past the defenders and into the box, indicating where the pass should be, and emerged into the desert air with his perfectly gelled hair in place and his right foot crashing down on the ball where the footballing world had been for years. The man who seemed to play the game at a different pace than everyone else was seen by the world for those three fleeting seconds. He would run at the defenders, slip by them, and leap above them. The resolute Moroccan goalkeeper was the catalyst for the intervention of reality. As he moaned, Ronaldo’s well-known wrinkles, which have inspired a million products, creased his face.
Cristiano Ronaldo sobbed his way out of the tunnel, as many had feared and probably longed for. A sad private moment is being broadcast to the world by a camera in front of him and another to his right. At one point, a television was set up, and we saw two Ronaldos crying: the tangible and the intangible On the field, the real and the apparition have appeared to be indistinguishable for some time.
On Saturday night, he made one more touch, asking for the ball again, turning his back on the goal, and tapping it perfectly for a Felix curler. The goalie missed it once more.
Apart from those two events, what else did the footballing world see? Ronaldo is attempting to coax his body into one of his famous leaps, but these days, just like the rest of us, he feels the pull of gravity; Ronaldo tying the shirts of the defensemen or pushing them around while they wait for a corner; Ronaldo was frantically gesturing for the ball to be played his way; Ronaldo is standing there with his eyes closed and his head cocked back in despair. as well as Ronaldo’s quick, straight walk back into the tunnel. That has not changed throughout the years. However, it now appears that he is eager to enter the privacy of the changing room.
He is said to be self-aware without being self-conscious. The sulks, temper tantrums, and sense of being victimized by the world all contributed to the unthinkable. that a poll would be conducted in a sports newspaper to determine whether the beloved man in Portugal should start a game. The response came like a punch to the gut: According to readers of the ABola newspaper, he shouldn’t. We do not know the results of the poll, including how many people participated and other details, but this was a poll that was reported in newspapers all over the world: Look, even at home, he is not liked.
Who has been heavily involved in this world cup? Abusing an opponent, calling him a fool on live television (the player who it turned out had come to shake hands and bury the ill-feeling on the field), throwing verbal volleys gracelessly at a legendary coach in his last game? Arguing with referees, harassing opponents, and disrespecting them even after the match has ended.
Neither Ronaldo nor the other. Why then does this man from Portugal, whose mother tried to have an abortion and even took a homemade potion that didn’t work, who was raised in poverty, and who can’t even remember having a decent conversation with his alcoholic father, who died when he was 20 years old, get so much hatred? On air, someone on the sports channel BeIn would say: People will be nice to you on your way down if you have been nice to them on your way up. There might be a reason for it. Perhaps not. We can never be sure. However, we will act as though we do. Ronaldo’s curse is that. He’ll get used to it.
It is unimaginable that Messi would be despised. Also unimaginable is Ronaldo being loved without condition. The possibility that Ronaldo would slow down seemed also unthinkable. that he will be unable to leap and remain stationary until the ball arrives. He now lowers his head before the ball reaches him. His head, hands, and feet appear to move rapidly without gaining time or space. Like a video buffering.
When asked how it feels to be a global football superstar, he would respond, “There is a reason for that,” in an interview with the BBC in 2015. People are so interested in me because I am so amazing on the field. Additionally, he would assert that he anticipated playing for 4-5 years at his peak. He might have done better to trust his own judgment. However, how many sporting icons are aware that their time is up? They were able to propel themselves to such awe-inspiring heights because they do not allow self-doubt to fester. However, he is aware of the gravity drag now. how it feels to be unwanted. What is Ronaldo’s plan?