Is this the end of Cristiano Ronaldo in a Portuguese shirt?

Cristiano Ronaldo has been a household name in football for nearly two decades. The Portuguese superstar has captivated fans across the globe with his mesmerizing performances and innumerable match-winning goals.

Currently, at 118 goals for the national team, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner tops the list of goal scorers at the international level in men's football. He captained Portugal to a historic win at the 2016 Euros and has been instrumental in keeping Portugal at par with other elite international teams.

Playing in what will probably be his last World Cup, Ronaldo was again expected to lead the talented Portuguese team towards the latter stages of the tournament. However, he has looked like a shadow of himself in Qatar. Apart from the controversial penalty against Ghana, Ronaldo has failed to find the back of the net so far and was dropped by Fernando Santos in their last game against the Swiss.

“I invited him to my office (on matchday) and told him, ‘Listen, you’re not going to be one of the starters. In terms of strategy, it is better if you are not on the field. Cristiano obviously wasn’t very happy about it (being benched) because he’s always been a starter ... and he asked me if it’s a good idea,” Santos said.

His former Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes has played a pivotal role in Portugal’s journey with five direct goal contributions. 21-year-old Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos, who replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting line-up, announced himself to the world with a stunning hat-trick and deservedly grabbed all the headlines.

Ramos is now likely to be the go-to man for Santos’ side when they play Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday and further on if they progress to the next round.

Cristiano Ronaldo might not start for Portugal again!

The 2022/23 season has been extremely tumultuous for Ronaldo. From being dropped by Erik ten Hag for Manchester United to now getting benched in his national team as well, Ronaldo has had to endure a tough time.

Without a club at this point, Qatar was expected to be the stage where he would revive the final stretch of his glorious career. But this looks highly improbable now, and it most likely looks like the end of Cristiano Ronaldo in a Portuguese shirt after the World Cup.

Is this phoenix destined to rise from the ashes? Time alone will tell.