Cristiano Ronaldo Was Moved To Tears After Morocco Shocked Portugal At The World Cup

Morocco’s magical run at the 2022 World Cup will continue on to the semifinal. The African side took on Portugal in a World Cup quarterfinal match on Saturday, and thanks to a goal right before halftime by Youssef En-Nesyri, Morocco earned a matchup with either England or France next week with a spot in the final on the line.

It was an historic moment for Morocco’s national team, as they became the first African side to ever earn a spot in a World Cup semifinal. It also marked the potential end of the line for the game’s most well-known player, as Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has been relegated to a role off the bench during the World Cup and currently has a murky club situation after he and Manchester United agreed to a mutual contract termination in the lead-up to the tournament.

While there is no guarantee that his international career is over, Ronaldo will be 41 when the next World Cup comes around in 2026. And in the immediate aftermath of the game, the greatest Portuguese player of all time made his way into the locker room with tears coming down his face.

Ronaldo came into the game in the 51st minute with the team needing a goal. After the game, Portugal manager Fernando Santos expressed zero regrets about his decision to use Ronaldo off the bench in the team’s last two games.

“I don’t think so, no regrets,” Santos said, per ESPN. “I think this was a team which played very well against Switzerland. Cristiano Ronaldo is a great player, he came in when we thought it was necessary, so no regrets.

“If we take two persons that were the most upset it is Cristiano Ronaldo and myself. Of course we are upset, but that is part of the job of the coach and the player.”

Time will tell what the future has in store for Ronaldo. The present, however, is all about the accomplishments of the Moroccans.