Ronaldo relishes a ‘beautiful moment’
Cristiano Ronaldo said he was living a “beautiful moment” after becoming the first player to score in five World Cups as he helped Portugal to a 3-2 victory over Ghana on Thursday at the start of their campaign in Qatar.
“It’s a beautiful moment in my fifth World Cup,” Ronaldo told reporters after the Group H game.
“We won. We started on a good foot. It’s a very important win. We know in these competitions the first match is fundamental.
“It’s another record too. That makes me very proud. I am very happy for the team to have put on excellent performance. It was difficult but we deserved to win.”
Asked about his acrimonious departure from Manchester United this week, Ronaldo said the only thing that counted was Portugal’s win.
“All the rest, it doesn’t matter,” he said.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos hailed his 37 year-old captain who won a second-half penalty and converted it himself to open the scoring against Ghana.
“I think Cristiano is a phenomenon, a legend,” Santos said.
“In 50 years time, we will still be talking about him.”
Ronaldo was substituted in the 88th minute to a rousing reception around Stadium 974 at the start of what is likely to be his last World Cup.
Santos rebuffed suggestions by his Ghanaian opposite number Otto Addo that the penalty decision was incorrect — given for a shove by defender Mohammed Salisu — and should have been reviewed by US referee Ismail Elfath via the VAR system.
“If the VAR tells the referee that he has to have a look, he will have a look,” he said.
“If the VAR didn’t call over the referee, it’s because they watched the images and there was nothing to see.”
Santos, in charge of Portugal since 2014 and who led them to the 2016 European Championship title, said the game had its “highs and lows” for Portugal and he was unhappy about conceding two goals.
“Now we have to look and see what happened with the players and respond to it,” he said.
Portugal, who top Group H, face Uruguay, who drew 0-0 with South Korea on Thursday, in their next match on Monday.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes said that he was glad he could still play with Ronaldo for Portugal.
“He was one of the players I looked at when I was a kid. It was a dream come true to play with him in the national team,” Fernandes told reporters.
“I did it in the [same] club also, that was something amazing. I still share this space with him in the national team and the main thing for me is that Portugal do the best we can at the World Cup.
“If we do it, Cristiano will be happy, I will be happy, everyone in Portugal will be happy for us.”
Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva said he believes Ronaldo can still play for a top-level club if he chooses to after the World Cup.