"This Team Deserves Respect": Football Legend Backs Portugal After FIFA World Cup Round-Of-16 Exit
Former Portugal and Manchester United legend Luis Nani hailed the national men's side following their round-of-16 exit in the ongoing FIFA World Cup at the hands of Spain on Monday.
Former Portugal and Manchester United legend Luis Nani hailed the national men's side following their round-of-16 exit in the ongoing FIFA World Cup at the hands of Spain on Monday, saying that the team deserves "respect, support and trust", knowing well how much the jersey means to the players representing the nation today. Portugal's FIFA World Cup dreams were shattered by a late winner from Mikel Merino as Spain edged past the Cristiano Ronaldo-led side 1-0 and punched their ticket to the quarter-finals.
Cristiano, playing in his last FIFA World Cup, walked off the pitch with tears in his eyes as, despite the massive weight of his goals, club accomplishments, individual awards, records and honours, the World Cup eluded him once again.
In a post on X, Nani, who won Euro 2016 with the team, posted a picture of himself celebrating with Cristiano and other teammates, saying that "the legacy in the national team and football speaks for itself."
"The legacy in the national team and football speaks for itself. There are stories and moments that no result erases. Cris, I had the privilege of living many of those moments with you, and I know all too well what you gave for this jersey. And I also know what this jersey means to all those who represent Portugal today. This team deserves respect, support and trust. Strength to you and this whole team," posted Nani, sending encouragement to the entire team, particularly Ronaldo, who suffered another heartbreak.
Since Cristiano's debut at the grandest stage, Portugal achieved fourth place in his debut tournament in 2006, followed by a round-of-16 finish in the 2010 edition, then a group-stage exit in 2014 and another round-of-16 exit in 2018. The 2022 edition saw Portugal do slightly better, making it to the quarter-finals, but it was his long-time rival Lionel Messi who pretty much ended the 'GOAT' debate by capturing the prestigious trophy for Argentina and delivering a sensational performance in the final.
Cristiano's FIFA World Cup career ends with 27 matches (the second-most by a player) and just 11 goals, underwhelming for a player of his stature and level of club accomplishments. Heading into the tournament, there were a lot of questions around Cristiano's participation, but individually, he had a rather decent outing, scoring three goals in five matches in this edition. However, during his final match, he set an unfortunate record, registering 17 shots during a FIFA World Cup without creating a single chance for his teammates, the most by any player.
The ongoing tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, saw Cristiano break into the record books once again despite the dips in form and make a statement about his longevity.
Against Croatia in the round of 32, a match Portugal won 2-1, CR7 became the first player in history to feature in a FIFA World Cup knockout match at the age of 41 or older. The match also marked a unique milestone, as it was the first in World Cup history to feature two outfield players aged 40 or above, with Ronaldo facing former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric.
The appearance also saw him extend another record, as he became the oldest goalscorer in World Cup knockout history at 41 years and 147 days, further underlining his longevity and enduring impact at the highest level. This was also his first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout goal, removing a massive blemish from his illustrious career.
Portugal started off with a dull 1-1 draw against DR Congo in the group stage, with Cristiano failing to make an impact and inviting a lot of criticism for his poor performance.
Against Uzbekistan, in a 5-0 win, Ronaldo led Portugal's charge with two goals, while Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao also found the net. An own goal involving Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov further compounded the misery for Fabio Cannavaro's side as Roberto Martinez's men secured their first win of the tournament in emphatic fashion.
Ronaldo's brace saw him become Portugal's all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history, taking his tally to 10 goals and surpassing Eusebio's record of nine. Eusebio, a Portuguese legend and 1965 Ballon d'Or winner, famously guided the team to third place at the 1966 World Cup. Behind Ronaldo and Eusebio, Pauleta is third on Portugal's World Cup scoring list with four goals.
Ronaldo also became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments, ending his 10-match goalless streak across major competitions (the FIFA World Cup and the European Championship). Portugal ended their group stage campaign with an underwhelming goalless draw against Colombia.
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