Just four hours after Lionel Messi’s Argentina bowed out to France, Ronaldo Portugal’s lost 2-1 to Uruguay in a fiercely-contested Round of 16 clash in Sochi.
A pair of goals from Edinson Cavani, the first a sweet seventh-minute header at the end of a fine move and the second a gorgeous curling effort from the edge of the area just past the hour mark, proved to be the difference between the sides. A header from defender Pepe briefly pulled Portugal level 10 minutes after the break, but the European side was out-thought and outplayed on the night.
And so, Ronaldo, 33, comes up empty once more in soccer’s biggest tournament, a title that now looks likely to elude both of the modern game’s brightest stars.
Messi, who contributed on two goals for Argentina earlier in the day but was generally substandard compared to his usual levels, came close in 2014, losing in the final. Ronaldo has never gotten that far, with this year’s campaign following a group stage effort four years ago and another last 16 exit in 2010.
Uruguay’s defense never gave Ronaldo room to breathe and show off his full array of skills and his frustration was clear to see the longer the game progressed and elimination beckoned.
Cavani’s night ended early when he limped off with a leg injury, but it was he who’d had the defining impact on the contest, while Ronaldo was left to reflect on another World Cup campaign that promised much, yet ended in disappointment.