'Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't have to apologise for anything' - CR7 spared criticism after penalty miss as Portuguese GOAT remains untouchable

Ronaldo was let off the hook when ex-Wolves midfielder Neves - who also plies his club trade in the Middle East for Al-Hilal - struck in the 91st minute and delivered another tribute to former international team-mate Diogo Jota. Portugal remain top of qualification Group A on the back of a third successive victory en route to the 2026 finals.

It appeared at one stage as though points would be dropped against Irish opposition, with Ronaldo having to take his share of the blame for that. His penalty, in the 75th minute, was struck well enough, but he decided to go straight down the middle. Rather than ‘Panenka’ said strike and dink beyond the diving goalkeeper, Ronaldo’s effort did not get enough air on it. That allowed Kelleher to stick out a leg and volley the ball to safety.

CR7 was distraught, as he trudged off with his head in his hands, but he was given the chance to complete the full 90 minutes. Had he hit the net against Ireland, then more history would have been made. As it stands, Ronaldo is locked on 39 World Cup qualifying goals with Guatemala forward Carlos Ruiz - with one more required in order to claim another entry in the record books.

Nobody in Portugal is about to accuse Ronaldo of letting his country down, with the 40-year-old frontman a European Championship winner with two UEFA Nations League titles to his name. He has registered 141 international goals through 224 appearances and continues to chase down 1,000 efforts in total over the course of his remarkable career.

Renato Veiga told reporters when asked about Ronaldo’s failure to take a golden opportunity against Ireland, with a national hero apologising to supporters afterwards as he held his hands up to the crowd: "Cristiano doesn't have to apologise for anything. For everything he's done for Portugal and Portuguese football, for what he still does, and for the great performance he put in."

As current holders of the Nations League crown, and with a talented group of players available to Roberto Martinez - which includes the likes of Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Ruben Dias, Vitinha and Rafael Leao - Portugal are among the favourites to capture a global title in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

Veiga insists that nobody is buying into that big billing just yet, saying of a potential bid to claim a historic crown in 2026: "Before that, the focus is on qualifying, then we can think further ahead. Of course, with this victory, Portugal is closer to the World Cup. We haven't qualified yet, and there's no point in dwelling on something we haven't achieved yet. We know our quality and are confident in how good we are, but we must be very humble and take it game by game."

Ronaldo will be desperate to get his hands on the World Cup, allowing him to emulate the achievements of eternal rival Lionel Messi. Felix has previously told TNT Sports of CR7 gracing another finals and setting his sights on the ultimate prize: "Yes, I think so and everything indicates that he will. He dreams of winning the World Cup, we will do everything we can to give him that prize. I think it is the only one he is missing."

Portugal will be back in action on Tuesday when playing host to Hungary at Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon. Ronaldo will likely figure prominently in that contest, with there no desire on his part to ever take a rest.