Trailing by one goal, the Croatian team could no longer remain calm and kept seeking opportunities to equalize. However, as the old saying goes, the more anxious you are, the more mistakes you are prone to. They were clearly no exception to this rule.

Despite Modric's best efforts to find opportunities, they were unable to break through Portugal's defense, and the score remained 2-0 until the final whistle.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been silent throughout the match, delivered a powerful final burst that effectively ended the game, leaving all the Croatians exhausted and lying on the ground, unwilling to move.

Are you alright, Luca?

As captain and friend, Cristiano Ronaldo did not celebrate the victory too much after the game. He simply bowed to the fans with everyone to express his gratitude before going to Modric to comfort him.

He was well aware of how important this match was to his friend, and that they had every reason to win. But a match is a match, and he wouldn't throw it, nor could he. This match was equally important to him, and giving his best performance was the greatest respect he could show to his friend.

"Of course, I'm fine, just a little tired and want to sit down and rest. Your teammates this time are really amazing, I don't know where to start."

"Hehe, you think so too! I think so too!"

Ronaldo was pleased to hear Modric praise Lei Ming, which is enough to show that Lei Ming is really strong now.

"Don't get too cocky. You absolutely must win the championship in the next match. Losing to the champion and losing to the runner-up are completely different things, you know what I mean!"

Modric looked at Ronaldo's smug smile and punched his solid chest with his fist.

Cristiano Ronaldo smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, don't worry, Marcelo told me the same thing yesterday. Of course, I won't let you down. Hey, Ray, come here for a second!"

Seeing Lei Ming not far away, Ronaldo waved to him and Lei Ming responded by walking over.

"What's wrong, Brother Luo?"

"Come here, let me introduce you. This is Luca, the best midfield maestro in football right now. He said you just gave him a headache, haha!"

"Uh!" Lei Ming naturally knew about Mr. Modric. In fact, before the match, Lei Ming had specifically studied his characteristics and footwork. To receive such praise was certainly a compliment!

"Ray, you're amazing! I'm not disappointed at all about losing to you guys. Can I swap jerseys with you?" Modric, who was being pulled up by Ronaldo, said to Lei Ming with a smile.

Lei Ming would never refuse, and he neatly took off his jersey and handed it to the other party: "Of course, of course, it's my honor. I've watched your games, and they're all very exciting."

After chatting for a while, the three of them went to the camera on the sidelines to take a group photo, and many fans at the scene also took out their mobile phones to take pictures.

Portuguese fans are celebrating like it's New Year's.

After many years, they finally saw their team reach the World Cup final again. This scene brought tears to the eyes of countless veteran fans, and some fans were so excited that they expressed their emotions by kissing their partners in public.

After the match, Cristiano Ronaldo attended the post-match press conference with head coach Santos.

A reporter asked, "Mr. Ronaldo, I would like to ask, are you confident of defeating your opponent in the next match?"

After the match in Portugal concluded, the other semi-final also came to a close, with the powerful French team emerging victorious.

In other words, in the next final match, Portugal will compete against France for the championship trophy.

In the past, Ronaldo might have been more modest when faced with such questions, but now that they have reached the final, there is absolutely no need for him to hide his brilliance.

Facing the numerous reporters present, he first smiled and removed the somewhat obtrusive Coca-Cola in front of him, placing the mineral water he endorsed in front of him. Then he said, "Our ability to stand here is absolutely not accidental, but rather the result of teamwork among teammates. If I were to represent them, I would say that no matter what kind of opponent we face next, we will not be afraid of them, we will defeat them, and we also want to stand on the podium and touch the World Cup trophy that every football player dreams of! There is no doubt about that."

Cristiano Ronaldo gave a very determined look and spoke with great conviction on the stage. At that moment, he just wanted his teammates and fans all over the world to feel that they were equally eager to win the World Cup.

And he, Cristiano Ronaldo, is only missing this championship to make up for the regrets in his life. Why doesn't he openly strive for it?

...

At this moment, the whole world is obsessed with the upcoming World Cup. In order to figure out which team will win the championship, netizens have been engaging in heated debates online.

In this atmosphere, the question of who could break the Portuguese goalkeeper's clean sheet record quickly became a trending topic.

"Three World Cup matches with no goals conceded, this goalkeeper is so reliable it's despair-inducing."

"In today's football world, if he isn't the best, then who is?"

"Wenger's eye for talent has once again reached a new level by being able to buy a goalkeeper for 65 million euros."

...

Lei Ming's performances at the World Cup have made him known to more people, causing his market value to skyrocket. The most direct impact of this is felt by the management of Arsenal Football Club.

This time, even Wenger was invited to the office by senior management for a heart-to-heart talk.

"Professor, I know you really like Lei Ming, but this is a price we can't refuse. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Although I also like him very much, we have to think about the club's future!"

A quote was placed in front of the professor, causing his pupils to involuntarily contract upon reading it.

300 million euros?

These Saudi tycoons must be crazy!

"Mr. Chairman, although I admit it is a price that is hard to refuse, Ray's role is very important to the team. He is the new captain and the soul of our team. With him, he can bring us any championship honor we want."

Wenger knew very well that at this point he had to emphasize the importance of Thunder, otherwise he would not be able to persuade the other party. He really did not want to be blamed for selling the captain again.

I just hope that the capitalists in front of us can look to the future instead of cherishing the present hardships.