EVEN when it came to retiring from international football, Cristiano Ronaldo finished second to Lionel Messi.

Two months after Messi confirmed he would not wear the blue and white shirt again, Ronaldo chose to follow him into the history books.

Yet while Messi left with a full house of medals and trophies, breaking his senior duck at the 2021 Copa America, dominating the 2022 World Cup and then retaining that continental crown, Ronaldo’s Portugal cupboard is more bare.

Nobody in their right mind would deny Ronaldo’s status.

He is, without question, an all-time great.

From that remarkable, brilliant contest against Ashley Cole in the shoot-out win over England at Euro 2004, for more than 20 years, Ronaldo became the emblem of his nation, his pride in Portugal almost reaching the levels of his regard for himself.

A force of nature and freakish genius, whose club trophy haul and personality will never be forgotten.

But in that port wine strip, it has not quite happened and to see it all finish amid a bust-up with new Portugal boss Jorge Jesus is both sad and predictable.

Yes, he started the 2016 Euros Final win over France – but only lasted 25 minutes before a knee injury forced him off – and was part of the side that won two Nations League crowns, in 2019 and 2025.

Yet on the biggest stage of the lot, across six World Cup tournaments and 27 games, his 11 goal return only got close to bringing the success he craved on his debut in 2006, when Portugal lost their semi-final to the French after a penalty shoot-out win over Sven Goran Eriksson’s England.

Indeed, it was only in 2022 that Portugal again reached the quarter-finals, with his penalty in the 2-1 win over Croatia in Toronto this summer his only knock-out goal.

At the end of that game, which saw him acting as the official team cheerleader from the sidelines after being substituted, Ronaldo was at the very heart of the emotional tribute paid to Diogo Jota, 12 months after the Liverpool striker’s tragic death.

But defeat by Spain in Dallas, with Ronaldo once more barely a spectator throughout the game – Roberto Martinez lacked the courage to take the big decision – meant the rivalry that captivated for two decades did not get the conclusion football wanted.

Had they met in combat one last time – Portugal were scheduled to play Argentina in the last eight but failed to win their group – we would all have relished it in historical terms.

Instead of a glorious farewell in the US, that career of 23 years, 234 games and 146 goals ended amid acrimony.

It was, somehow, fitting that where Messi’s decision to call time on his two decades with the “albiceleste” came with fanfares and bouquets, Ronaldo said goodbye after an almighty row.

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni shed tears at the thought of waving goodbye to his side’s icon.

By contrast, Ronaldo called time with a final, deliberate snub for new Portugal chief Jesus, less than a week after his 30-day “ban” for walking out on the squad during the last international break.

And it came just a day before Jesus was set to announce his latest squad – perhaps with no Ronaldo in it.

Veteran Jesus – Ronaldo’s boss at Al Nassr until taking up the reins dropped by Martinez – saw that the Emperor, now 41, no longer wore clothes when he went onto the pitch.

Dropping him for the Nations League game in Norway was a big call in itself, with Ronaldo insisting he was told he would be sent into the fray at some point.

Instead, after being sent to warm up, he was brought back on to the bench and not introduced as Portugal won 2-1, showing his anger by heading straight to the dressing room as his squad-mates celebrated in front of the travelling fans.

When he was again told he would not start the following game with Denmark, Ronaldo quit the squad, promising to “tell the truth” later.

Last month, he broke that silence, accusing Jesus of an “absolute breach of trust”, accepting he would be punished and insisting he wanted to stay part of Portugal’s future.

Now, barely four weeks later, – presumably after an exchange with the coach that might well have been tense and explosive – all those bets are off, as is Ronaldo, who signed off with a “special word” aimed “to my team-mates this season” and ignoring Jesus completely.

No Portuguese player, not even the great Eusebio, has ever dominated the national conversation in quite the same way. Perhaps nobody ever will.

But you have to think that Ronaldo will end up with regrets over the fact that he tried to ignore the one opponent no player can ever defeat – time.

Whatever tributes are paid, whether this month or in March, they will now be stained by the way it concluded.