A little more in the history of which he wrote so many pages. Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score at least one goal in five different World Cups on Thursday as Portugal beat Ghana (3-2) as the 2016 European champions entered the competition. A paradoxical match for the now ex-Manchester United player, in difficulty before launching his partners to take the lead in this group H.
During the anthem, the emotion
And at the very end of the line of players arm in arm, a football monster moved like a kid. Cristiano Ronaldo couldn’t hold back his tears as the Portuguese anthem rang out in Doha’s 974 stadium. A sequence on which the director of the meeting lingered for several seconds, zooming in on the head of the one who, 16 years after his first appearance in the competition in Germany, is most likely playing his fifth and last World Cup in Qatar.
Is it the emotion of the prospect of a final outing that caught up with the former Real Madrid striker? The thought of the passage of time and this last opportunity to shine in the last selection? At 37, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner announced before the meeting in the emirate that he would retire in the event of Portugal’s first world title in the Gulf.
In the first half, errors
Ghana, who came to play 0-0, nevertheless gave the star the opportunity to write a new page in his legend. But the Portuguese number 7, relegated to the bench with Manchester United in this first part of the season, initially missed everything, or almost. A duel with the goalkeeper after having missed his control absolutely alone in the center (10th), a header completely missed after flying above his guard (13th) on a cross from his left side Raphaël Guerreiro or another goal logically disallowed for a fault that could not be seen on Alexander Djiku.
In short, it did not want, despite the recurring attempts of the Portuguese to find their leader, more and more annoyed as missed opportunities. And his shot blocked just before the break (42nd) summed up all the helplessness of the player in the middle of this three-way Ghanaian defense.
In the second half, the penalty for history
A rhythm to put the toughest of insomniacs to sleep. And suddenly, Cristiano Ronaldo in the box. In contact with Salisu, the striker plays the shot very well and collapses (62nd). Protests – at first sight legitimate – of the Black Stars, but the referee of the meeting Ismail Elfath decided, and the Var does not intervene to prove him wrong. Obviously charge the ex-Mancunian to transform the offering.
We play the 65th minute of the game. Cristiano Ronaldo takes his momentum, and sends a strong shot slightly to the side. A missile far too powerful to counter for Ati Zigi. The former Juventus Turin player and all his partners are exulting. He rises in the air, begins his fetish celebration which he half finishes, all smiles in the middle of the substitutes of his selection.
The game is really on. Ghana equalized (73rd), then Portugal regained the lead (78th) and made the break (80th). Fernando Santos’ timing to take out his star during a triple change. Cristiano Ronaldo goes to the sidelines, gives way to Gonçalo Ramos, before clapping all the hands available to him. Portugal ended up winning (3-2), the star is launched. We expect better from him, on a day when the weight of history will be less felt.
