As attention turns with sadness and pain to legendary player Cristiano Ronaldo, seemingly ending his international career after leaving the Portugal camp, there is a need for the wise saying: "Sometimes courage lies not in continuing, but in knowing when to stop."
Perhaps if Ronaldo had read or believed this saying, he would have realized that it was wise to end his career with his national team after being eliminated from the last World Cup, just as his Argentine rival Lionel Messi did.
But Ronaldo insisted on exhausting his goodwill among Portuguese fans to the last drop, resulting inevitably in reaching a dead end with a coach who does not want to rely on a player over forty as a starter in every match.
Therefore, the ending was painful for Ronaldo's fans and for him himself, as the curtain fell on one of the most successful and inspiring stories in Portugal's history, not immediately after the show ended, but only after the written script finished and the protagonist began to improvise.
Ronaldo is not the only one whose story ended sadly with his national team; several stars preceded him who were not granted happy endings.
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane ended his international career dramatically during the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.
The France captain scored a penalty at the start of the match, before being sent off in the second half following an incident with Marco Materazzi. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with France losing on penalties, marking Zidane's last appearance wearing his national team jersey.
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio's ending with the Italian national team is linked to one of the most famous moments in World Cup history, after he missed the final penalty for his country against Brazil in the 1994 World Cup final.
Baggio shot the ball over the crossbar, causing Italy to lose the title on penalties, while that moment remained etched in fans' memories forever.
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon's ending with the Italian national team was harsh, after the "Azzurri" failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup following a loss to Sweden in the European playoffs.
Buffon played the return leg in Milan, which ended in a goalless draw, shattering Italy's hopes of reaching the World Cup. The veteran goalkeeper announced his retirement from international football after the match, ending a 20-year career with the national team, during which he won the 2006 World Cup.
