Featured Image Credit: Zuma Press / Alamy. Nicolò Campo / Alamy.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus, Morocco, Football World Cup, Portugal, Football
Jayden Collins
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus, Morocco, Football World Cup, Portugal, Football
It really hasn’t been a great week for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Morocco became the first ever African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals with a 1-0 victory over Portugal in an emotionally charged game.
Their decisive goal came courtesy of a mammoth leap and bullet header from Youssef En-Nesyri.
The header was certainly Ronaldo-esque, soaring through the sky to beat out the goalkeeper and defender.
In fact, it’s been confirmed that it actually put Ronaldo’s efforts to shame.
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The Moroccan player jumped a whopping 9ft 1inch to crash home the winner, surpassing Ronaldo’s jumping record of 8ft 4inches when he scored for Juventus against Sampdoria.
The Portuguese star has always been hailed for his athleticism with that 2019 strike, with the image of his gigantic leap going down in football history.
However, the Sevilla striker smashed that record by a whopping eight inches.
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Both men stand at 6ft2, so it’s an impressive feat for both of them.
The Moroccan man seemed to hang in the air, just as Ronaldo has done on many occasions, to head his country into the World Cup semi-finals.
Can’t imagine the former Manchester United man would be too happy with being knocked out of the tournament by also being knocked off the premiere heading pedestal.
I mean, Ronaldo’s live reaction to the header shows he was at least quite impressed by the header.
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The goal means Morocco is set for a semi-final meeting with world champions France, in what will be a tough test.
For Ronaldo, it means his chances at World Cup glory with Portugal are over.
The number seven was distraught as he headed down the Al Thumama Stadium tunnel in tears following the defeat.
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It was heartbreak for the 37-year-old forward on what could well be his last appearance at a World Cup.
Ronaldo, who is the all-time men's leading scorer in international football, can look back at his Portugal career with pride. He lifted the European Championship trophy in 2016 after beating France.
And the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward says he isn't done just yet. Back in September, he said he hopes to play again for his national team at Euro 2024.
"It has been a long road, but I would like to say that my road is not over yet," he told ESPN.
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"I hope to be part of the Federation for a few more years. I still feel motivated; my ambition is high. I'm in a team with young people. I want to be part of this World Cup and the European too; I'm going to assume that right away."