One can summarize Cristiano Ronaldowork in two pictures. But, not five Ballon d’Or or Champions League titles won. Both photos are from different World Cups, taken shortly before and after the peak of his career.The first is from the 2006 World Cup and the second from the 2026 World Cup. The first makes him look on the bench, a humble starter who can continue to dominate the game. The latter saw him in tears, maybe he didn’t realize that he was no longer the actor he once was. Between these two minutes, we saw a player who tried to be great, rewrote the script, went on with the game and, in the end, could not distinguish reality from its illusion.But let’s take a walk down memory lane.In 2006, England faced Portugal in a tense encounter that Ronaldo faced at Manchester United Wayne Rooney kicked out for putting his foot in the wrong place. A proud Portuguese, Ronaldo also agreed with the referee to have Rooney sent off and became England’s Public Enemy Number 1 by watching the bench.The English outfit, as they do, threw away the rug, calling for Ronaldo’s head, but Sir Alex Ferguson used the moment to create a circle of ideas that led his third United team, Rooney and Ronaldo to the peak.That moment also shaped Ronaldo into the player we know today. While pundits may prefer the 2007-08 version, when he bagged 42 goals in a season that saw United win the Premier League and Champions League, purists prefer the 2006-07 version, when he was the perfect combination of touch-and-giggle teenager and goal-scoring monster that he would become. Before that, many strikers were thrown into the dust bag of the Premier League as people who couldn’t do it on a cold night in Stoke.Everyone knows what happened next.Ronaldo left Manchester for Madrid, becoming the most expensive player in history, and became the foundation upon which Real Madrid built their new Galacticos, which saw them win four Champions League titles during his time. His football career is Lionel Messi he defined the sport for a decade, but even at Real, Ronaldo’s influence waned. The marauding striker ran less and less, instead becoming a player who only focused on one side of the ball: scoring goals. With age, the field shrunk, until by the time the 2026 World Cup rolled around, it was just a penalty area.A journey that began with petulance ended in tragedy. Ronaldo tried to keep a brave face through it all, channeling his inner Sinatra to claim that he left with a “clear conscience”, that he had won three titles with Portugal, and that Portugal had not won a “big bladder in front of Cristiano”. It sounded more like someone trying to prove himself than a viewer. Of course, purists would say that at the end of Euro 2016, Ronaldo was injured and did not play when Portugal took the lead. And the jury is still out as to whether the two titles of the Nations League, a competition designed to give weight to the respected partners, can be considered “great”.Perhaps Ronaldo’s rise and fall feels more personal because of the similarity in age. When a fan is the same age as a player, give or take a few years, one’s future is set.In 2003, all United circles were hearing about a new signing from Sporting Lisbon, a boy named Cristiano. It was interesting to know that Ronaldo in his name comes from the American president and not the Brazilian Il Fenomeno. We’re told he gave John O’Shea a migraine when Sporting Lisbon played Manchester United in the first pre-season game and Sir Alex refused to leave before signing him off, which saw United’s players forced to spend hours on the bus. One remembers his debut vividly, coming on against Bolton and wearing the famous Number 7 that was released by David Beckham after the boots started flying in the dressing room. Who did this man think he was? How can he wear the same number as George Best, Eric Cantona and Becks?In came Nicky Butt in the 61st minute, a young man with scary teeth and fair hair. When the match was over, no one dared to ask if he was fit to wear the shirt. As George Best said: “It was without a doubt the most exciting game I have ever seen. There have been players with equals. [to me]but this man has more than anyone else, especially since he really has two legs. He can play on either wing, beat players with ease and set up dangerous tackles with his left or right foot. When did you see that?”He stayed there for six years, winning three league titles, two League Cups, an FA Cup, a Club World Cup and a Champions League. At his peak, he looked like an amalgamation of several Premier League greats: a man who could head like Shearer, curl the ball like Henry, take a free-kick like Beckham (albeit with a different style) and beat defenders like Ginola.Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford after 12 years and the highlight of his life was Peter Drury’s comment: “A work of art, of vintage, beyond price, beyond deception or imitation.” CR7 is also involved. “ Sadly, it was good for Ronaldo, as it became clear that he still has the ability to score goals, his presence often leaves the team vulnerable. The results turned south and Ronaldo’s former teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who played the best football for United since Sir Alex Ferguson left, was sacked. Ronaldo eventually had his contract terminated after a Roy Keane-esque interview about the club and went to Saudi Arabia, where even local laws were followed by his will, allowing him to live with his unmarried lover. When the World Cup came, apart from the strong performances of Ronaldo like iShowSpeed​​​​​​​​​​ and Piers Morgan, it became clear that no matter how much the spirit gave in, the body failed.One meme summed up the discrepancy between Ronaldo’s talent and reality, mocking the competition for the Golden Boot: Messi (7), Mbappe (7), Haaland (7) and CR7.Perhaps the comparison with Messi made the biggest difference. Messi, a few years younger, is playing with more freedom than ever, lifting his teammates. However, Ronaldo feels like an albatross around his team’s neck. Now, one has to say that while Ronaldo and Messi played for equally strong teams during their time at Real Madrid and Barcelona, ​​Argentina has always been a top-flight country compared to Portugal. Messi has been surrounded by the best players in the world. A very clear analogy comes from cricket: Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar It was said in the same breath, but West Indies have never had a team to compete in the ODI World Cup like India did, even though they have been T20 monsters.Either way, when it came to Ronaldo, the numbers weren’t even the most painful part. Ronaldo still shot, he still ran, he still jumped before he started to play, he still raised his hands when the pass didn’t arrive, he still looked at the referee as if the game owed him one last time. But the body did not listen to the stories. There was no jump. Half the court was gone. The flash inside the box, the terrifying certainty that they would turn every ball into a funeral procession for defenders, was absent.
Against Spain, it was impossible to ignore. Portugal had more of an idea of ​​Ronaldo than Ronaldo himself. Every attack seemed to reach him too late or leave him again too quickly. The man who once bent all defenses is now waiting for the game to come to him. And when it did, it didn’t come back with the inevitability of the past. In the last minute, when there was someone to jump, it was 5ft 8in Bernardo Silva instead of 6ft 1in Cristiano Ronaldo.Maybe that’s why the tears were so scary. These were not the tears of a man who resented the dying light. These were the tears of an old man who cannot understand that the world no longer bends to his will, that now it does not pay attention to his wishes.And for a fan, that’s a solid watch. It’s easy to sneer at the vanity, the temper tantrums, the questioning, the fandom, the constant need to remind everyone of his greatness. But it’s hard to see the player who made you fall in love with the game of football live as a tribute to him. In some ways, it is reminiscent of MS Dhoni’s 2019 funk in the Indian Premier League, a man who, like Voldemort, worships at the altar of number seven.
Young fans pose with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo before the Round of 16 World Cup soccer match against Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
In 2006, the eye showed a new era of national governance. Tears in 2026 was the end of that madness. And for those of us who grew up with him, who hated him, loved him, protected him, despised him and secretly wanted to make the final jump to the back ground, it was painful because we no longer saw Ronaldo lose in Spain. We saw Ronaldo lose that time.
