Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup match and a confederation captain who is seen very hard.
The USA is out of the World Cup and Belgium suffered a serious injury.
Here are the headlines from last night’s World Cup.
Spain–Portugal 1–0
Spain are through to the quarter-finals after Mikel Merino’s late winner. For Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, it was his last World Cup match.
He previously flagged during the championship that this will be his last WC.
– I did my very best and leave with a clear conscience, he says.
Whether that was his last international remains to be seen.
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USA–Belgium 1–4
Most of the talk before the host nation’s match revolved around Fifa allowing Folarin Balogun to play – despite the red card in the round of 16. But Belgium won 4–1 and is through to the quarter-finals.
The USA World Cup is over and after the victory, Belgium sent a sour pass.
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The confederation captain resigns – sawed hard
Roberto Martinez has done his part as Portugal’s national team captain for Portugal. He was praised by Cristiano Ronaldo, among others, but not everyone is equally satisfied.
After the 0–1 loss to Spain, former soccer star Ricardo Quaresma sent a verbal lashing in Martinez’s face.
– For me, it has gone wrong from the beginning until now. Everything has gone wrong. There wasn’t a single match where you could say we played well or created lots of chances and were just unlucky, says Quaresma.
He was a pundit during the match for the TV channel Livemode TV and the quotes were reproduced by the Record newspaper.
– I have said this many times, but Martínez has never convinced me. Say what you will about it – I don’t care if anyone gets annoyed – but we need to play with a lot more joy. Since Martínez took over, I haven’t seen the national team play a really good game. That is the reality. He tried fifty different tactics, and nothing worked.
Quaresma continues:
– And the proof is there: we’re going home with the national team that everyone said was the best of all time… But best of all time in what? What have they really won? Shall we go home disappointed and with hanging heads? It’s probably best that I don’t say too much more about this World Cup or I’ll start saying things I’ll regret.
Onana screamed out her pain
Amadou Onana started for Belgium but only got to play 17 minutes against the USA.
He got into a duel crookedly and hurt his right knee. The midfielder screamed out his pain and it was obvious that he was in real pain.
The traveling midfielder could not continue and limped off the pitch. He was replaced by Hans Vakanen.
On the bench, he sat really frustrated and was surrounded by consoling teammates. After a few minutes he went out into the dressing room with a doctor.
At the end of the match, Onana was seen limping to Belgium’s bench on crutches and some form of stabilizing knee brace.
When Romelu Lukaku made it 4-1 in the closing stages, he held up Onana’s shirt in tribute.
– I have a feeling that it is serious, unfortunately, says national team captain Rudi Garcia Nieuwsblad.
► Read more about the match here!
Mbappé is supported by Macron
Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla attacked Kylian Mbappé with racist comments.
“That vermin didn’t even learn to write. Instead of breast milk, he sucked on coconuts, and the most educated creatures he ever heard of were chimpanzees,” she wrote, according to RMC Sport.
The French star replied:
“You do not represent Paraguay, a country that showed passion and honor throughout the tournament. Through your irresponsibility and your open racism, the whole world has already forgotten the journey and the historic performance of your players during this World Cup. Instead, the country is now associated with an incompetent woman who gives her country the worst possible image”. signed Mbappé X.
He has been supported in many directions and last night French President Emmanuel Macron stepped forward.
“Kylian Mbappé scores again. This time on racism”, Macron signs X.
► Read more here!
