Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli penned a heartfelt note for Portugal captain Cristano Ronaldo following his team's exit from the FIFA World Cup Qatar. In his note shared on social media, Kohli called him the Greatest Of All Time (GOAT).
A Ronaldo fan, Kohli penned the note today, two days after the Portugal team lost their quarter finals to Morocco, ending Ronaldo's hope of lifting the World Cup trophy.
"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," he wrote along with a picture of Ronaldo.
"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," he added.
Ronaldo, a five-times Ballon D'Or winner, arrived with a mission to prove he could still make a difference. He ended the tournament, however, as a bench player and had no impact as a substitute in his team's 1-0 quarter-final loss to Morocco.
Ronaldo responded to Portugal's World Cup elimination with a emotional note on Instagram. "In the five World Cups I played, always alongside great players and supported by millions of Portuguese, I gave it my all. I left everything on the field. I never turned my back on the fight and I never gave up on this dream. Unfortunately, yesterday the dream ended. The dream was beautiful while it lasted," he concluded.