CR7’s spotlight shifts to sidelines
Minute 74. Portugal on the verge of a thumping victory over Switzerland in a one-sided Round of 16 encounter of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Tuesday night, leading 5-1. On the sideline stood Cristiano Ronaldo, waiting for his turn to make his 21st appearance on the World Cup stage, but for the first time as a substitute.
By then, he had seen Goncalo Ramos power his way into a World Cup hattrick, the 21-year-old's shotgun celebration indicating a changing of the guard.
Cristiano hugged the hattrick man and entered the field. Pepe, the captain for the day, was very quick to come and adorn him with the armband. Portugal were winning resoundingly, but the 37-year-old gave the look of a man defeated, perhaps to his own ego and ambitions.
Just before the Round of 16 encounter, Portugal head coach Fernando Santos clearly stated he did not like Cristiano's attitude after being subbed off in the previous match against the South Korea.
Similar sentiments were expressed by Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag, who had even punished the Portuguese talisman for his behaviour.
The number of times Cristiano has shown public discontent towards his manager over the past few year is astounding, but no longer surprising.
An air of arrogance may enhance performances at the peak of one's powers, but also becomes a slow poison when age catches up. It is proving an extremely difficult pill to swallow for a man like Cristiano, who had set goal-scoring records for fun, always being the centre of attention and the main man for club and country, with or without the armband.
From Madeira to Madrid, Cristiano's ascendency to the top was a rough ride. However, the journey depicted dogged resilience, flashes of nonchalant flair, power, trickery, and the indomitable will to be the best in the world.
By the time Cristiano went to Real Madrid, he was already lauded as one of the best on the back of staggering numbers and trophy-laden successes. Transitioning from a pacey winger to an out-an-out poacher, CR7 modelled and re-modelled his game, even around injuries, and found unparalleled success. In most cases, that was good enough. His success meant his team's success.
With time though, people started to question Cristiano's definition of success. His hunger to score and be the main man at times eclipsed the needs of the team. Football is a team sport after all, and Cristiano needed one last re-modelling to compensate for his age and the transition in football philosophy worldwide.
He perhaps needed to appreciate his role as an impact goal-scorer rather than the first name on the team sheet. Still, on his path to the ultimate success, the mountain is seemingly getting steeper each passing day.
Portugal have made it to the quarterfinals, and World Cup glory for him and his compatriots is just 3 wins away.
It appears that CR7 may now have to channel his ego for his country's sake. In his head, he believes he is the best, but in a team game, perhaps his best is to come off the bench and contribute.
The only way he can get his limelight now is by not craving for it anymore. A glorious career like his deserves a glorious ending.
Cristiano needs to rediscover the joy of football rather than burdening himself with pressure to perform at the highest level.
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