Cristiano Ronaldo will Not Feature on Portugal's Giant Qatar World Cup Poster

Cristiano Ronaldo

According to reports, Cristiano Ronaldo will not be Portugal's poster boy at the upcoming 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Each country competing in the tournament will choose one player to appear on Doha's skyscrapers with a giant 75-foot poster - but Ronaldo won't be catching a glimpse of himself this winter as he is set to be overlooked. 

According to ESPN, Ronaldo will be snubbed as Portugal's chosen player on their poster - with either his United team-mate Bruno Fernandes or Liverpool's Diogo Jota earmarked as favorites instead.

This decision will surprise many as Portugal overlooks the man who became the all-time international top goalscorer last year.

Ronaldo, who broke Ali Daei's 109-goal record with a brace against Ireland, now has 117 international goals in 191 appearances—yet even this is insufficient to get a World Cup banner.

By selecting a younger squad member, Portugal appears to be accepting a new direction for their national team and preparing for life without their hero.

The 37-year-old has been in dismal form by his own standards, with only two goals in his past nine competitive outings for his country.

However, Ronaldo may not be alone in missing out on having his own giant poster.

Argentina has yet to decide who will be featured on their poster, with Lionel Messi potentially joining Ronaldo on the sidelines.

If both megastars miss out, it could represent the end of the Messi and Ronaldo era where the two have dominated world football for well over a decade. 

Several other countries have already confirmed who will represent their national side on these newly-commissioned posters.

Croatia chose Luka Modric, and Senegal chose Sadio Mane to be featured on the skyscrapers.