Ronaldo Branded 'Biggest Failure Of The World Cup'

Ronaldo became the first player to score in five different editions of the World Cup by scoring against Ghana in Portugal's opening game but his tournament went downhill from there.

The 37-year-old failed to complete the full 90 minutes in all three group stage games he started, eventually throwing tantrums against South Korea, which cost him starting berths in the knockout rounds.

His replacement in the round of 16, Goncalo Ramos, scored a hattrick against Switzerland in the round of 16 while

Ronaldo could not inspire a turnaround from the bench as Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarterfinals.

Portugal's elimination capped a miserable six-week period for Ronaldo, whose contract with Manchester United was terminated after a startling interview with Piers Morgan.

In contrast, Ronaldo's long time nemesis, Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to World Cup glory by beating France 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw game after extra time at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Sunday.

"With his ego trips, Ronaldo has damaged the team and himself," Matthaus told newspaper Bild.

"There is no doubt that he was a great player and an absolutely lethal finisher. But now he has damaged his legacy.

"I find it hard to think that he can find a place in a team. I kind of feel sorry for Ronaldo.

"Ronaldo is of course a big failure of the World Cup, the opposite of Messi," he added.

"[Messi is] the absolute winner. He deserves it because he has given me and all football fans great joy with his qualities and the way he plays over 17-18 years.

"For me, Messi is the player of the millennium."