Virat Kohli pens emotional post for Ronaldo after Portugal's painful FIFA World Cup 2022 loss against Morocco

Cristiano Ronaldo exited the FIFA World Cup following a painful loss to Morocco in the quarterfinal, maybe for the final time. Portugal fans across the world were shattered after Ronaldo's exit from the big tournament. Miles apart, Indian batsman Virat Kohli has sent a moving tribute to the Portuguese football legend. Kohli called Ronaldo, GOAT - the greatest of all time, on his Instagram post on Monday. Kohli said that no trophy or any title can take anything from what Cristiano Ronaldo has done in this sport and for sports fans around the world.

One of the best players of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, might have participated in his final World Cup. Ronaldo has not been playing well in Qatar, scoring only one goal against Ghana. Portugal coach Fernando Santos benched his star player for Portugal's next two knockout games after replacing him in the team's loss to South Korea in the group stage. Santos responded to the criticism, said, despite the team's World Cup exit, he had no remorse in benching his best player Cristiano Ronaldo.

Former Indian skipper Kohli recently completed his four-year quest for an ODI century against Bangladesh. Taking to Instagram, Kohli backed Ronaldo after his World Cup loss. He wrote, "No title can explain the impact you have had on people and what I and so many around the world feel when we watch you play. That is a gift from god." “A real blessing to a man who plays his heart out every single time and is the epitome of hard work and dedication and a true inspiration for any sportsperson. You are for me the greatest of all time,” Kohli added. He also put in a goat and a crown emoji to end his Instagram post.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Ronaldo, a former Real Madrid player, reportedly disagreed with Santos' choice to sit him against Switzerland and Morocco. However, his fiancée Georgina Rodriguez criticised Santos for putting him on the bench for the first half of the match against Morocco. Ronaldo bowed his head in defeat and began the arduous journey to the tunnel at Al Thumama Stadium while wiping his eyes.

From the beginning of the World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo has been the subject of several controversies. After a contentious interview with Piers Morgan that resulted in the termination of his contract with Premier League team Manchester United, he landed in Qatar. Ronaldo during the interview confirmed this will definitely be his last should Portugal lift the title. Naturally, Ronaldo's previous squad was the primary focus of the discussion, and when questioned about the Red Devils since his return in 2021, he was blunt. “At United, the progress was zero, in my opinion," Ronaldo said. It did stir a lot of controversies and now it will be interesting to watch which club will sign Ronaldo after the World Cup games in Qatar.