Cristiano Ronaldo, the captain of Portugal, was
guarded in his response to his team's World Cup elimination following a loss to
Morocco.
After the 1-0 quarterfinal victory, the 37-year-old
attacker was in tears as he made his way back to the dressing room.
Ronaldo participated as a substitute after joining
the action in the victory over Switzerland in the round of 16.
The largest and most ambitious ambition of my career
was to help Portugal win the World Cup, he stated on social media.
"Unfortunately, the dream came to an end
yesterday [Saturday]."
Before the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo departed
Manchester United amicably following a contentious interview in which the
five-time Ballon d'Or winner harshly criticised the team.
He began each of his nation's three group games in
the competition, but Fernando Santos benched him for the victory against
Switzerland.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and Santos
disputed that Ronaldo threatened to quit the tournament after learning he would
not start against Switzerland, as reported by the Portuguese daily Record.
Ronaldo continued, "I simply want everyone to
know that despite all the talk and speculation, my commitment to Portugal
hasn't wavered at all.
"I was always the extra player working toward
the common objective, and I never turned my back on my teammates or my nation.
"There isn't much else to say at this time.
Regards, Portugal. Regards, Qatar. While it was happening, the dream was
lovely. We must now allow time to act as a wise guide and allow everyone to
reach their own conclusions."