Ronaldo became the 1st player to score in 5 World Cups
After exiting Manchester United by mutual consent in his interview, Ronaldo is now a free agent. After being fouled by Mohammed Salisu (65), he scored the goal from the penalty spot and hit back at his detractors with yet another piece of history.
Ghana evened the score when their veteran striker, Andre Ayew, scored from close range (73), but Portugal responded immediately with goals from Joao Felix (78) and Rafael Leao (80), both of which were set up by Bruno Fernandes.
After a turbulent week, Ronaldo, who scored his 1st World Cup goal when he was 21 years old in 2006, enjoyed the spotlight and obtained a standing ovation when he was replaced in the final stages. However, Portugal had to endure a nerve-wracking final after Osman Bukari headed in Ghana’s second goal (89).
When Ghana’s Inaki Williams caught Portugal’s Diogo Costa off guard in the 10th minute of extra time to steal possession in the box and a point, the forward lost his footing at the moment, allowing Ronaldo and his team to hang on for the victory.
How Ronaldo made history once more
Ronaldo dominated the buildup to the tournament as the fallout from his interview last week continued. He also took centre stage right away during the game, albeit for the wrong reasons, as he missed two golden opportunities early on.
Otavio’s through ball caused Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi to run off his line and disown him in a one-on-one, and then after some time, he headed a Raphael Guerreiro strike inexplicably wide of the far post. Otavio’s first touch was heavy.
Portugal continued to dominate, and Ronaldo did get the ball in the 31st minute. However, he was ruled to have fouled Alexander Djiku and shot past Ati-Zigi, so his celebrations were short-lived.
After being released from Manchester United, Ronaldo has become a target for Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Ronaldo played a frustrating game in the first half, failing to take advantage of a Guerreiro header inside the six-yard box. However, the story changed dramatically after the break.
Ghana’s defence had been resolute up until that point, but Ronaldo finally took advantage of his opportunity when he was found to have been fouled by Salisu. He scored an emphatic penalty that was too far away from Ati-Zigi and marked his 118th international goal, which sparked wild Portugal celebrations.
After Portugal defender Danilo Pereira failed to stop a dangerous Mohammed Kudus cutback, Ayew scored from close range, bringing Ghana’s score to 2-2.
However, when Felix coolly finished from a Fernandes through ball, Otto Addo’s team was immediately levelled again. Substitute Leao then converted from another Fernandes pass for his first international goal just three minutes later.
Fernando Santos used the opportunity to substitute Ronaldo for the final few minutes after those goals appeared to have taken the game away from Ghana. However, Bukari scored thanks again to an error by Joao Cancelo, and Williams robbed Costa at the last minute, giving the game a huge scare.
On the other hand, Portugal prevailed in the end, advancing to the top of Group H and providing Ronaldo with some respite as he pursues the one trophy he has yet to win.
Ghana’s head: The American referee
Who awarded the penalty that led to Ronaldo’s goal was criticized by Ghana coach Oddo Atto, who referred to it as a “special gift.”
When Salisu’s challenge caused Ronaldo to fall, VAR decided not to intervene. Because video technology chose not to examine the decision, referee Ismail Elfath pointed straight to the spot, allowing Ronaldo to kick the first goal.
“Congratulations to the goal scorer. However, this was, in fact, a gift. A present,” Addo stated. What more might I, at any point, say? (It was a unique present from the referee.
Because of how bluntly Addo criticized American referee Elfath, he may face legal issues with FIFA.
Addo responded when asked what he thought led to Ghana’s narrow defeat: The referee
He continued, “I think it [the penalty] was the wrong decision.”Why VAR didn’t come up is beyond me. For me, there is no justification. Additionally, when a world-class team is in control, it is challenging.
“They said he’s in a meeting, and it’s impossible. I asked some people outside with FIFA if I could talk with the referee calmly and quietly,”
Ronaldo hails “beautiful moment”
Ronaldo hailed the achievement of scoring in a record-breaking fifth World Cup as a “beautiful moment.”
He continued, “We started on a good foot.”It’s a significant victory. We are aware that the first match is crucial in these competitions.
“I’m very proud that it’s another record as well. I’m very happy for the team because of how well they performed. Although it was challenging, we deserved to win.”
However, when questioned about the situation, Ronaldo stated, “I wasn’t keen to discuss my acrimonious exit from Old Trafford.”The remainder, it doesn’t make any difference.”
Santos called his captain, who is 37 years old, a “phenomenon, a legend,” and added, ” We will still talk about him in fifty years.”
What does the outcome imply?
Portugal now leads Group H ahead of their matchup with Uruguay on Monday.
In the group’s first game, South Korea held Uruguay to a goalless draw.
Bruno Fernandes won the game as the best player. Once more, it was all about Ronaldo, but he was far from his best. Bruno Fernandes, a teammate of his, was closer to him. The 28-year-old, a current teammate of Ronaldo’s at the club level, pulled the strings throughout and used his trademark through balls to set up Portugal’s second and third goals.
Analysis: Ronaldo continues to propel Portugal to success:
Ronaldo keeps setting new records. Today, we heard a lot of “Suiiis,” but we finally saw the important one. It broke Ghanaian hearts because they predicted that Ghana would prevent him from doing so and that it would not occur today.
He was not even close to his best. Anyone who has observed Ronaldo throughout his career would disagree. However, despite the circumstances surrounding this World Cup’s opening match, the controversy surrounding him, the noise, the debate, the worldwide attention, and the never-ending conversation, he continues to praise Portugal.
“He gave a good performance, had a goal disallowed, missed a few chances, and got a few heavy touches, but he is still Portugal’s model. When we spoke with many Portuguese journalists before the game, they mentioned how many people say Ronaldo cannot run. Analysts, managers, and everyone else are discussing that.
“That doesn’t matter to Portugal because he has contributed so much to the national team and accomplished so much, and his presence could be motivating even when we think it’s disruptive. His actions during practice and on the field are beneficial to his teammates.
“We were hoping not to be disappointed with the game itself. It was a sluggish first half, but after spending the buildup with the fans, we thought there was so much excitement and colour: We want a good game to be played.
Additionally, the second half was phenomenal. If Inaki Williams hadn’t fallen, what would have transpired? Ronaldo and Portugal wouldn’t want to find out, and they didn’t ought to.
Al-Hilal is looking into signing Ronaldo for free. The club Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia is looking into signing Ronaldo for free. In the summer, Saudi Arabia made Manchester United an offer for Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United was willing to accept the offer, but the deal did not work out.
The news of Al-Hilal’s interest comes after Saudi Arabia’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal +announced the country wants to bring Ronaldo to their domestic league and take over Manchester United & Liverpool, who are both looking for new investors. Ronaldo claims that he rejected that move, estimated to be worth approximately £305 million.
“He should play in their league; who wouldn’t want that?”Prince Abdulaziz informed Sky News about Ronaldo’s involvement in Saudi Arabian football. He and Messi serve as a model for many young players.
Cristiano Ronaldo became the 1st player to score in 5 World Cups with his record-breaking night, according to Opta statistics.
Along with Croatia’s Ivica Olic and Cristiano Ronaldo, Denmark’s Michael Laudrup has become the third player at the World Cup to be the nation’s oldest and youngest goal scorer.
After Roger Milla, who scored for Cameroon in 1994 at the World Cup at the age of 42, Ronaldo is the second oldest player to do so (37 years, 292 days). Surpassing Sweden’s Gunnar Gren (37 years, 236 days), he became the oldest player to score for a European nation in 1958.
After José Torres’s two assists against Brazil in 1966, Bruno Fernandes is Portugal’s second player with two assists in a World Cup game.
