Cristiano Ronaldo and the parable of Narciso: a mirror of what is not and a Portugal that flourishes at the World Cup

Instead of looking at his reflection like Narcissus, Cristiano Ronaldo He had his mirror of water on the giant screens of the best stadiums. Like the character from Greek mythology, the Portuguese became convinced that there has never been and never will be anyone like him. And the perception of him was not far from the truth. It is not for nothing that he is the top scorer in the history of football. It is not in vain that he is the only footballer who has scored goals in five different World Cups. However, CR7 forgot the most important thing. nothing and no one is forever.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer superhero, has already lost many of his powers. His kryptonite, everyone’s, was the passage of time. Unavoidable. Irreversible. And although the screens return an image to him, his ego prevents him from interpreting that he is no longer what he was.

Cristiano Ronaldo looks down as the cameras frame him at the Lusail stadium. shortly before the start of the round of 16 match against Switzerland. The four giant screens of this gigantic nest-like mass show the ‘Bug’ in a yellow bib, the one used by substitute players.

He got a few pats from the Portuguese fans as he warmed up very lightly and watched the titles prepare at full speed.

The rudeness he did to his coach was very costly, Fernando Santowhen he took him off the field in the match against South Korea. “Before, in the ‘flash’ interview, I didn’t hear anything. Then I saw it on television and I didn’t like it at all. The problems are solved internally, it’s done, everyone is focused and available. I’ll give the eleven at the stadium It’s always like this, it’s a settled issue and everyone is available.”released the DT the day before the match.

The matter was resolved, but Cristiano Ronaldo was defeated. His fury led him to lose his starting position and the captain’s armband. Goncalo Ramos, who earned his place in the selected squad after exploding when Darwin Núñez left Benfica, has taken his place. Furthermore, the 21-year-old struck a hell of a kick after 17 minutes of play to break zero and start taking Portugal closer to the quarter-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to arrive to hug the baby. Also the first to leave while all his mates continue to celebrate against the billboards. Switzerland timidly tries to get back into the game. And the cameras show it again at no. 7 with a pissed face. In Pepe’s goal, once again he is the first to run from the bench to greet the new captain. This time he is more outgoing. He waits for his former Real Madrid teammate to give him a personalized hug. When he comes back, he covers his mouth with his hand and says something to a classmate. The perfect smile of white teeth disappears too quickly.

The second half begins. Once again CR7 steals the show as he tackles the bank. Grab a drink from a cooler. She sits down again. After three minutes Santos sends him to warm up. Run parallel to the lime line in a line of five players. When approaching the promontory people explode. He wants to see him on the pitch, of course. That’s why they came here. The Portuguese who voted in a poll by the newspaper A Bola do not think so: 70 percent believe that it would be better for him to leave as a substitute.

Sounds like a bad joke for CR7. Three minutes later, Ramos reappeared and scored twice. Clap the crack in the distance. And again whisper something to a partner. What will he tell you? The Benfica boy immediately left another sign in the match: assist for Raphael Guerreiro and partial 4-0. Clap, again, in the distance. An assistant of Santos appears from behind and says something to him. He seats him back on the bench. And the cameras take another close-up.

“Ronaaaaaldo, Ronaaaaaldo, Ronaaaaaldo”, falls from the entire circumference surrounding the playing field when 15 minutes into the second half. The coach seems immutable. And, when it rained (although it never rains here), it flooded. Ramos reappears and scores a hat-trick to make it 5-1. The story of the Benfica boy seems like a fairy tale: he made his debut in the Portuguese team a month ago and he did it four goals in four games. Sounds like a horror story for CR7, who is no longer smiling as he warms up again.

With the game completely over, Santos makes a triple substitution. Lusail bursts. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo finally enters. He does it for Joao Felix. Before entering, Pepe approaches and puts the captain’s ribbon on him. People light up when the ball is around them. He exalts himself for a free kick that explodes against the barrier. And with a meter that doesn’t thrive. And with a goal that didn’t exist because he started two meters ahead. And with another chance slipping away when Eray Cömert narrowly closes.

What’s wrong with Cristiano Ronaldo? At 37, when he expected to be one of the poles of attraction in Qatar 2022, the ego that allowed him to dominate football alongside Lionel Messi for nearly two decades, football has taken him to an unwanted place. On the sidelines of a team that played its best match in the Middle East on Tuesday

The hand had been twisted since the start of the European season. he wanted out of Manchester Utdhe didn’t make the preseason and ended up touring with his other DT erik tenhag. Before the start of the World Cup, he announced his mutual termination with the Premier League giant. Now, while flirting with a football fortune in Saudi Arabia for a luxurious pension, while he is only one goal away from equaling Eusebio (9 tears at the World Cup) and while Portugal flourishes, as in the story of Narciso, and reaches the quarter-finals after demolishing Switzerland 6-1, his fate is uncertain. And everything happens at the least expected time and place.

Lusail, Qatar. Special delivery.