Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal suffered an acrimonious exit in the quarterfinals of FIFA World Cup 2022 as they lost 0-1 to Morocco, thus ending the 'dream' of Ronaldo to win a World Cup with Portugal. However, the 37-year-old was hailed by Virat Kohli as the 'greatest of all time' nonetheless as the former Indian skipper penned an emotional tribute for CR7.
The former Manchester United forward was left on the bench for Portugal's quarterfinal match against Morocco and was introduced in the 50th minute, but it proved to be a little too late as Ronaldo couldn't impact the outcome of the match.
After Portugal bowed out of the World Cup, Ronaldo took to Instagram to write that his 'dream' was over however, Kohli hailed the star forward for his legacy, calling him a 'gift from god'.
READ| 'Winning a World Cup was my biggest dream': Ronaldo pens emotional message following Portugal's shock WC exit
Kohli, who is currently in Bangladesh with the Indian team penned a heartfelt tribute to Ronaldo.
"No trophy or any title can take anything away from what you’ve done in this sport and for sports fans around the world. No title can explain the impact you’ve had on people and what I and so many around the world feel when we watch you play. That’s a gift from god," wrote the talismanic batsman, who scored his 72nd international century recently.
"A real blessing to a man who plays his heart out every single time and is the epitome of hard work and dedication and a true inspiration for any sportsperson. You are for me the greatest of all time," added Kohli in his precious note.
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The 34-year-old has been a Cristiano Ronaldo fan for a long time, and the latest gesture from him comes as no surprise since he shares a great bond with CR7, having worked together in a TV commercial previously.
While it remains to be seen when Ronaldo will be seen on the big stage, since he mutually terminated his contract with Manchester United, thus making him a free agent, Kohli will next be seen in action on December 14, when India will lock horns with Bangladesh for the two-match Test series.
