Some believed it was destined to happen. Others prayed it would not. Now it can't. Portugal are out of the World Cup and there will be no final against Argentina. No Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi for the game's greatest prize at Qatar 2022.
This is likely to be the final World Cup for both Ronaldo and Messi, two players who have dominated football for the past 15 years. Between them, they have won 12 Ballons d'Or (seven for Leo, five for Cristiano) and the debate over which is best is always intense.
Ahead of this tournament, Messi and Ronaldo were photographed together playing chess for a Louis Vuitton campaign. It was an iconic image, even if the pair were not in the same room for the shoot. Now they won't be on the same pitch either.
On Friday night, Messi produced another Man of the Match performance as Argentina came through a tough quarter-final against the Netherlands on penalties. In it, their talisman produced an extraordinary assist for the opening goal, scored the second from the penalty spot and converted in the shootout. There were also many moments of his genius throughout: those trademark runs and dribbles, silky skills to keep possession. And aggression too. He was up for it – perhaps like never before.
By contrast, Ronaldo started on the bench against Morocco on Saturday for the second match in a row. And although he was introduced in the second half, the 37-year-old offered little and was unable to get Portugal back into the match. Now his World Cup is over and he is unlikely to be playing when the next one comes around.
Earlier in the tournament, Cristiano became the first player in history to score in five World Cups. That was an amazing achievement, but it came courtesy of a dubious penalty against Ghana. In Portugal's second game, he tried to claim another goal, but replays and Adidas ball technology showed he had made no contact with his head to Bruno Fernandes' cross in the 2-0 win over Uruguay.
Then he was dropped for the last-16 clash with Switzerland and Portugal played better without him as his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win. Rumours that Ronaldo was prepared to walk out were denied after that, but now he leaves the World Cup stage. In truth, he did not make much of a mark on Qatar 2022. Not on the pitch, anyway.
Meanwhile, Messi's dreams of crowning his impressive career with the biggest prize of all remain alive. Croatia are up next for Argentina and if they win that, it will be England, France or Morocco in the final.
Not Portugal. Not Ronaldo. Good. It was a forced narrative anyway. Because one of the two is producing his very best football for his country, while the other was reduced to the role of emergency substitute. An awkward presence.
If they had played each other, it would have proved little anyway. Messi is and always has been the better player. Right now, he is miles ahead. And whether he wins the World Cup or not, he is surely the game's greatest player. Check mate.
