2018 World Cup
KAZAN, Russia — Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi saw their World Cup dreams snuffed out on Saturday as French teenager Kylian Mbappe flew the flag for a new generation in Russia.
Ten goals were scored on a gripping first day of the knockout phase as France progressed to a quarterfinal tie against Uruguay, but Messi and Ronaldo may have played their last games on soccer’s biggest stage.
In the first match, in Kazan, France roared back to beat Argentina 4-3, with 19-year-old Mbappe scoring twice in an electrifying display.
Later in Sochi, Ronaldo — who started the World Cup with a hattrick against Spain — couldn’t prevent Portugal slipping out of the tournament as Edinson Cavani scored twice in a 2-1 win to send the European champion home.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker opened the scoring with an early header and curled a superb firsttime shot past Rui Patricio to win the match after a Pepe equalizer.
Cavani, who forms a lethal frontline pairing alongside Luis Suarez, later limped off, sparking fears for the PSG forward’s future in the tournament.
Messi and Ronaldo had been on a quarterfinal collision course, but the closest they will now come to each other in Russia is the airport departures lounge.
While they have set goal records tumbling in Europe and Spain year after year, neither has been able to find the net in a World Cup knockout match in a combined 14 games.
For all Messi’s brilliance with Barcelona, it appears the 2014 final defeat to Germany is the closest the 31-year-old will ever come to winning the World Cup.
Real Madrid forward Ronaldo, a European champion with Portugal two years ago, will be 37 by the time the next global showpiece rolls around — meaning it is unlikely he will improve on a run to the semifinals in 2006.
However, Portugal coach Fernando Santos said Ronaldo still has plenty to offer his country.
“Cristiano still has a lot to give to football and I hope he will stay to help the young players grow and develop,” he said. “We have a team with many young players and of course we all want him there with us.”
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said Cavani had sustained an injury and it was unclear how serious it was.