In pics | Cristiano Ronaldo's journey at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo announced himself at the Qatar World Cup by slotting Portugal's first goal of the tournament. Ronaldo managed to earn the penalty after he was brought down by Ghanaian defender Salisu inside the box. Ronaldo took the onus upon himself to take the spotkick and rifled the ball to the right of goalkeeper. The goal meant that Ronaldo became the first male player in history to score at five different World Cups. 

In the second group match against Uruguay, Ronaldo found himself in the starting lineup once again. However, the Portuguese captain remained anonymous for large parts of the game. He couldn't score or assist but midfielder Bruno Fernandes managed to fill the void with two goals.

Ronaldo did claim the first Fernandes goal as his. The Portuguese asserted that the ball had grazed his hair when he jumped to guide it to the back of the net. However, FIFA ruled that Ronaldo had not touched the ball, thus denying him his ninth World Cup goal. In the 82nd minute, manager Fernando Santos hooked him off which was to become a regular phenomenon, going ahead.

Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly 'insulted' by South Korean player Cho Gue-sung during the final Group H match where the Asian side managed to outmuscle the 2016 Euro champions. The incident transpired during the 65th minute of the game when manager Fernando Santos substituted Ronaldo for Andre Silva. Speaking to a Portuguese outlet after the match, Ronaldo said Cho was hurrying him off the pitch. 

"What happened was before my substitution, the South Korea player told me to get off quickly. I told him to shut up as he doesn't have that authority. There was no disagreement [with the coach]."

An hour before the kick-off at the Lusail Stadium, Portuguese coach Fernando Santos released his playing XI which instantly became a major talking point. Portugal's talisman Ronaldo was benched in the all-important knockout game. However, despite the off-field noise, Portugal did not miss Ronaldo as his replacement, 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos managed to bag a hattrick in his first-ever World Cup game. 

A post-match video went viral at the time which showed Ronaldo walking out of the pitch while his teammates applauded the crowd and celebrated with them. While Ronaldo exited the pitch, his teammates neglected him and continue to soak in the admiration and applause of the Portuguese crowd.

After Portugal crashed out of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo broke down in tears and cried inconsolably as his last dance on the world stage came to a premature end. In a video that has gone viral on social media platforms, an emotional Ronaldo can be seen walking off the pitch after the final whistle is blown. Rarely has Ronaldo shown his vulnerable side on the football pitch and the fans were visibly upset after seeing one of the modern greats of the game bow out on such a sorry note.