BY DAMOLA EMMANUEL
For more than a decade the duo dominated world soccer like the King Lion does over a pride of lions. But by an ironic twist of fate, the two footballing behemoths crashed out of the World Cup with their national teams, on Saturday, a situation that may mark the end of international soccer for them.
In a very unpredictable World Cup, where permutations by mystic cats and pigs, football buffs and armchair analysts, have fallen like a house of sand, reigning World Best Footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, and his arch-rival for the Ballons d’Or, Lionel Messi, melted out of Russia 2018 like butter on a hot plate.
Going by the shock defeats of their teams in Saturday’s knockout stage, Russia 2018 has become one nightmare the Barcelona and Real Madrid superstars would wish to forget in a hurry. While France threw out Argentina 4-3, Uruguay sent Portugal packing 2-1.
The defeats diminish the larger-than-life status of the two superstars who, in the past decade, have won 10 Ballons d’Or between them.
Russia 2018 is the fourth World Cup that the two giants would be playing for their countries. The Argentina attacker and the Portugal forward have, each, featured in 2006, 2010 and 2014 editions of the global football fiesta respectively.
On Messi’s part, a teenager called Kylian Mbappé was the nail that sealed the superstar’s 2018 World Cup coffin. The 19-year-old Paris St. Germain (PSG) sensation, who has won 19 caps for France with four goals in the kitty, sealed Argentina and Messi’s fate with a superb brace and winning a penalty.
Mbappé, whose terrifying speed confused a struggling Argentina side, won the penalty in the 13th-minute And Antoine Griezmann stylishly drove the ball from the spot to the back of the net to open scores for France.
Many in the arena, as well as millions of television viewers across the world, must have been amazed at Mbappé’s speed which, football buffs attest, compares with the powerful surge of the Brazilian legend, Ronaldo. Some even say the teenage French sensation is quicker than Ronaldo. With 4-3 at full time, France buried Argentina’s hopes in Russia 2018.
Flip the coin, and discover the irony of Saturday’s sensational results. For it was another Paris St. Germain striker that nailed Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo’s coffin in a World Cup whose real nature has just begun to unfurl. The name of Ronaldo and Portugal’s nemesis is Edinson Cavani.
At 31, Cavani is much older than Mbappé. But like the French teenage sensation, his teammate in PSG, it was Cavani’s superb brace that buried European champions Portugal in Saturday’s World Cup round-of-16 cracker.
Cavani gave Uruguay a quarter final ticket in a 2-1 victory that left Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo subdued. He put his team ahead in the seventh minute when he mesmerised Portugal’s defence before hitting the ball with a bullet header off a Luis Suarez’s cross. But in the 55th minute, Portugal levelled through a powerful header by Pepe. Incidentally, the goal was the first Uruguay have conceded so far in the tournament.
However, it took just seven minutes for Uruguay to regain control and a vital lead in the match when a perfect pass from Rodrigo Bentancur found Cavani at the edge of the penalty box and he rifled a first-time shot past Goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
With scores standing at 2-1 at full time, Uruguay got a well-deserved quarter final ticket and sent reigning World Best Player, Cristiano Ronaldo, home, his head bowed.
Uruguay meet France in a quarter final showpiece on Friday.
