Cristiano Ronaldo exhales raggedly. His face, though trying to maintain inscrutability, betrays his nerves. This isn’t the square-jawed, 41-year-old with almost 1,000 career goals. It’s the 2006 World Cup quarterfinals and he is just 21. Not for the last time, his country’s dreams rest on his shoulders. He places the ball on the spot, takes his run up and fires into the net. Portugal wins the penalty shootout and advances to the semifinal.
Meanwhile, England, among the bookmakers’ pre-tournament favorites, are going home at the quarterfinals. Again.
