Cristiano Ronaldo's last illusion for Portugal

CHENNAI: Every great magic trick has three acts: The Pledge, The Turn and The Prestige.

The first act is often a simple introduction, in this case, Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he was a 21-year-old in a country without much footballing history.

While it was a straightforward introduction one goal across the competition it was quintessential in terms of Portugal’s footballing books, as it reached the semi-final against France. The act also introduces the two protagonists, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, signalling the beginning of a new-age rivalry.

“We were two young men at the start of a great career.” It isn’t just words; it, in fact, signals the calm before the chaos. That setup shows you that while Ronaldo is already achieving stardom, his counterpart, Messi, is still an up-and-coming footballer, having won the UEFA Champions League against Arsenal.

Act 2 is where the plot thickens; it is where the two magicians Ronaldo and Messi make football feel extraordinary. A regular footballing rivalry turns spectacular, with Ronaldo carrying Manchester United to greater heights, and Messi is slowly yet steadily chipping away at the block with FC Barcelona, re-establishing him as one of the biggest clubs in European football.

It is during that second act that the two careers collide, Ronaldo at Real Madrid, and Messi at Barcelona, going toe-to-toe, achieving everything possible in club football, and bringing home individual glory without an able competitor in the duopoly of modern-day footballing talents.

Right when you think that you are getting an answer, a clear picture of their capabilities at the international level comes as a plot twist of the second act. While one magician is doing wonders with his international team Ronaldo and Portugal winning the 2016 Euros, the country’s first-ever international title. His rival, Messi, has dropped his act, where he declares, “For me, the national team is over".

At this moment in the movie, you seem to know it all. Ronaldo has earned his fourth Ballon d’Or title the most for any European player in the history of the individual award. You know where the third act is going; you can guess who is going to end as the all-time GOAT in the footballing race.

Every trick needs a misdirection; we looked at goals, Ballon d’Ors, records, retirements; Portugal looked at succession. And then begins Act 3, aka The Prestige: a devastating payoff, aka 2016-2026.

All similar characters reappear, Messi comes back, Ronaldo shows a renewed purpose in his international career, with four goals in the 2018 World Cup, and it seems like you are getting the perfect payoff for an illustrious career. However, that’s when you miss the most important detail: one story increasingly revolved around its star; the other slowly evolved beyond one.

Ronaldo becomes the highest-paid footballer, and Messi becomes just another act in the United States’ evolving history. But hidden inside it was the twist: Portugal eventually realised that it had discovered a future that needed Ronaldo less than before. Argentina was building itself a generation that could work perfectly to elevate its star, Messi.

People assumed that the final act was the 2022 World Cup. Ronaldo scored a goal for Portugal while Messi scored seven goals and provided three assists, lifting the coveted trophy for Argentina. It wasn’t; it was all building towards the 2026 World Cup — the final act of Portugal’s greatest footballer and the one last act of a fitting rivalry in footballing history.

Cristiano RonaldoThe final act was indeed a devastating payoff.

The writing was on the wall, yet you ignored the warnings, one tournament after the other.

While one was scripting history, the other was digging his own downfall, and as the 2026 World Cup progressed, it became clear how the plot was always in front of you, and yet you chose to turn it away.

The trick wasn’t about hiding any of these details, but it was about flooding you with so much ‘noise’ that you ignored what’s in front of you.

Ronaldo was supposed to be the main act, but that’s where the problem lay; he was no longer in a position to be in a lead role, as evident by the numbers, with just nine shots on target in the competition, just two chances created, three goals scored and a total of 21 touches in the opposition box. It wasn’t poor for an ageing striker, it was poor for a player who still occupied the game’s biggest stage.

Without him, Portugal had a cohesion that was missing. It gave the stage for the likes of Goncalo Ramos, Rafael Leao and Joao Felix to stand out and show their skills.

“For me, the biggest title the national team won was the European Championship in 2016. I sincerely think it had the same significance as the World Cup,” Ronaldo said after the Spain loss.

“So for this reason I repeat, I have a clear conscience, and I gave it my all — that’s it. Tomorrow will be a new day, and life goes on.”

Every magic trick promises a breathtaking finish. Ronaldo’s career with Portugal did one better; it ended quietly, not because he stopped believing he could be the hero but because Portugal no longer needed one: no grand reveal, no final flourish, just pin-drop silence.