Just days after losing his spot in the Portugal team, Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dream was shattered for good in Qatar.
The tail-end of Ronaldo's illustrious career has stuttered in recent months: his tumultuous second spell at Manchester United came to a sorry end a fortnight ago after failing to convince Erik ten Hag he was worthy of a starring role. The 37-year-old was then dropped by Fernando Santos for last week's Round of 16 match against Switzerland - and he was always likely to continue on the bench after his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, plundered a stunning hat-trick in a thumping 6-1 win.
Santos was quick to quash talk that Ronaldo had threatened to leave the tournament after discovering he had been dropped but did concede that the veteran questioned whether or not his boss really thought that leaving him out was a "good idea".
With the match already won, Ronaldo was given a cameo role in the final minutes against the Swiss. But with Portugal trailing to a Youssef En-Nesyri header, Santos called on Portugal's former talisman in bid to conjure up a response and keep their World Cup dream alive after keeping him on the bench for their quarter-final clash.
But while Ronaldo made history by equalling the all-time international record for appearances in mens football by winning his 196th cap, there was to be no fairytale ending for the former Real Madrid and Juventus superstar.
He failed to make any real impact during his 40 minutes on the pitch and was unable to prevent Morocco from making history of their own as they became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup at Portugal's expense. He was pretty much innocuous; highlighting why the likes of Ten Hag and Santos have decided that one of the game's untouchable stars has become dispensable in recent weeks.
The result means that Ronaldo, who became a European champion with Portugal back in 2016, has failed in what is likely to be his last attempt to become a world champion. The manner in which he left the field, alone and in tears, confirmed that his last realistic chance at glory on a global stage with his country had gone.
Mirror Football kept a close eye on the former Portugal talisman after he was introduced in a bid to keep Portugal's - and his own - faltering World Cup dream alive.
Join the debate! What did you make of Ronaldo's performance against Morocco? Let us know here.
TIMELINE
29 mins: Ronaldo watches on. Looks alright. Jon Champion and Ally McCosit debate how hard it is to watch big games from the sidelines.
42 mins: Morocco score. Ronaldo looks on in disbelief just minutes before the break. McCoist describes the goal as 'Ronaldo-esque'.
HT: Ronaldo is seen in deep conversation with his teammates as the two sides emerge after the break.
51 mins: Santos and Portugal need a goal: enter Ronaldo, who makes history the second he steps onto the pitch. His 196th appearance for his country sees him equal the world record for the most international caps in mens football history.
52 mins: A bright start from the veteran. He breaks away down the right-hand side and gets the ball in the box but its a simple catch for Bono.
59 mins: Ronaldo can only watch on as Ramos heads wide from a free header in the Morocco box - spurning the sort of chance Ronaldo has
69 mins: Ronaldo is inches away from connecting with an audacious Bruno Fernandes cross. Still nothing of note from the ex-Manchester United man.
83 mins: Ronaldo tees up Felix with a deft touch, but Bono produces a sensational save to preserve Morocco's lead.
86 mins: Ronaldo cuts a frustrated figure in the box as another Fernandes cross just evades him.
91 mins: Ronaldo has the chance to fire keep his nation's World Cup dreams alive after being played in, but his low strike from inside the box is smothered by Bono.
98 mins: Ronaldo can't believe his eyes as Pepe heads a sitter wide at the back post with just seconds remaining.
99 mins: Ronaldo walks straight off the field in tears after his World Cup dream is shattered for the final time.
