What's it like being club-less at a World Cup? Ronaldo and only few others know

DOHA, Qatar -- A trivia question for you: What does Cristiano Ronaldo person successful communal with defenders Andre Ooijer and Gary Breen? Well, arsenic of precocious Tuesday evening, erstwhile Manchester United announced he had near the club "by communal agreement," Ronaldo was playing successful a World Cup without a nine to his name, an acquisition helium shares with those 2 erstwhile players from erstwhile competitions.

It's a uncommon circumstance, 1 made adjacent much truthful successful Qatar by the World Cup's one-off scheduling successful the mediate of the European season: Most contracts expire connected June 30, which means players are incapable to truly find a caller nine until the summer, erstwhile the World Cup usually begins. (This World Cup was moved lone due to the fact that Qatar's clime made summertime unsafe for athletes.) And successful erstwhile editions, astir players would've had their adjacent moves lined up anyway, similar Frank Lampard successful 2006, who had announced helium was leaving Chelsea earlier the World Cup, but had agreed to articulation New York City FC aft the tournament. (He really ended up playing for Manchester City, but that's different story.)

But for immoderate similar Ooijer and Breen, erstwhile they joined up for nationalist squad work with Netherlands successful 2010 and Republic of Ireland successful 2002 respectively, they faced an uncertain aboriginal beyond the tournament. Both released by their erstwhile clubs, they had nary declaration lined up and were near to navigate the wilderness of escaped bureau portion trying to absorption and vie successful the sport's biggest competition.

How a bully World Cup tin alteration a escaped agent's career

Breen was released by Coventry City up of the 2002 World Cup and by the clip Ireland precocious to the quarterfinals against Spain, his performances astatine the World Cup earned him an connection from Inter Milan. After the tourney was over, the woody fell through.

"Prior to the Spain game, I had agreed connected a woody with Inter," Breen told Off the Ball. "When we got backmost to Dublin, I flew retired to Milan, I had the medical, failed the medical, and I inactive haven't got implicit it. So successful presumption of having the accidental to spell and play, it would person been great.

"I was 28 years of age, it was the close time, it would person superb and I was truthful looking guardant to it. And erstwhile it didn't materialise, I struggled really for a small spot aft that. I conscionable couldn't get it retired of my head, but you know, that's life."

Breen ended up signing for West Ham United.

A glimpse done erstwhile tournaments volition uncover immoderate different escaped agents, similar Australia's Craig Moore, who played without a nine astatine the 2010 World Cup aft having near Greek Super League broadside AO Kavala successful March. By the extremity of the tournament, helium would play 1 much clip successful a Sydney United garment earlier retiring.

New Zealand midfielders David Mulligan and Simon Elliott were besides without a nine astatine the aforesaid tourney having some been released by Wellington Phoenix. They ended up astatine Auckland City and Chivas USA respectively.

At the 2014 World Cup, Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was a escaped cause aft leaving Ligue 1 broadside Ajaccio. He enactment successful a man-of-the-match show against Brazil successful the radical signifier and said afterwards: "I judge this was the champion lucifer of my beingness due to the fact that this was a World Cup crippled and this is precise important."

Ochoa followed that up with different spectacular showing against Netherlands successful Mexico's round-of-16 defeat, but his signifier saw him linked with Real Madrid and Marseille. "It was not a atrocious clip to play well. He won't person a hard clip getting a contract," ex-US goalkeeper Brad Friedel said astatine the time. He ended up astatine LaLiga broadside Malaga.

Elsewhere, the large Zinedine Zidane was technically without a nine erstwhile helium planted a headbutt connected Marco Materazzi successful the 2006 World Cup final. It was his past enactment arsenic a nonrecreational footballer. And portion it whitethorn not beryllium a World Cup, Hal Robson-Kanu deserves an honourable notation for his performances astatine Euro 2016. His singular Cruyff-turn extremity against Belgium saw Wales into the semifinals and him nominated for the Puskas Award for extremity of the year. He would aboriginal determination to West Brom.

At this tournament, different than Ronaldo determination has been 1 different subordinate betwixt clubs: Ecuador's Jhegson Sebastian Mendez is disposable arsenic a escaped cause aft his declaration with LAFC finished, though the franchise is successful talks to clasp him. Ecuador person already been eliminated from the World Cup, and his accidental to make much leverage successful negotiations is over.

Ronaldo and the circus astatine Portugal's World Cup

Portugal are adamant that Ronaldo's aboriginal won't distract them from their extremity of winning the World Cup. They person learnt from erstwhile experiences the worth of minimising extracurricular sound -- their 2018 World Cup run was destabilised by speculation, according to manager Fernando Santos, arsenic helium explained up of their opening lucifer against Ghana past week.

"Six oregon 7 players came to the Russia [World Cup] successful betwixt clubs, and I'm telling you this due to the fact that yet we each discussed this [as a squad]," Santos said. "You deliberation I mightiness beryllium joking, but I saw 1 of them talking to the caput of information astir this and talking astir a agelong clip -- they were talking astir the aforesaid issue.

"Even though it's the aforesaid situation arsenic now, it was thing that shifted the absorption then. It was a hard concern with players negotiating contracts -- it was truly challenging. But we are seeing a precise bully situation here."

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Mark Ogden gives his investigation connected the 2-0 triumph implicit Uruguay successful Group H that takes Portugal into the circular of 16 astatine the World Cup.

Santos said helium hasn't spoken to Ronaldo astir his future, portion his ex-Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes said determination was nary information of it becoming a distraction.

"This hasn't been discussed and we've had nary remark astir it successful our clip together," Fernandes said. "The important happening is the players are focused with a large tone -- they're focused and spot what they expect -- they are realistic astir the challenges they are facing."

The applicable points of being without a nine volition not interaction Ronaldo. A subordinate is insured done their nationalist federation, arsenic good arsenic done their clubs, portion 1 starring cause told ESPN that "virtually each subordinate astatine the World Cup should person their ain career-ending security anyway." But for a subordinate similar Ronaldo, specified nuts and bolts whitethorn not beryllium connected his caput anyway.

- Stream connected ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, much (U.S.)
- World Cup 2022: News and features | Schedule

Just inquire Andre Ooijer, who went done it himself astatine the 2010 World Cup.

"To beryllium honorable I ne'er thought astir those things," Ooijer says, remembering wherever helium was astatine the time. "Just for me, it was OK, I'm retired of contract, I privation to spell to the World Cup, that's it. That was my lone thought. I lone wanted to spell to the World Cup -- connected the time of the final, I'd person turned 36 truthful astir players astatine that signifier are retired."

Ronaldo turns 38 successful February, but helium doesn't look acceptable to dilatory down. "It was a week that finished this chapter," Ronaldo said aft scoring successful Portugal's 3-2 triumph implicit Ghana. "It is closed and present I privation to commencement connected a bully foot. We started, we won. I could assistance my squad and each the remainder doesn't matter."

Regardless, the speculation volition proceed implicit Ronaldo's aboriginal done this tournament, but for the clip being helium is portion of a prime radical of players who cognize what it's similar to beryllium looking for a aboriginal location portion playing astatine the World Cup.

Compartmentalising nine and state erstwhile you person nary club

There's already a circus and speculation astir wherever Ronaldo volition extremity up next. He's already been linked with large wealth moves to Saudi Arabia, with Al-Hilal reportedly interested and Al-Nassr offering him much than £300 million. You'd ideate his cause Jorge Mendes is fielding calls from each implicit the world.

It was a antithetic satellite for Ooijer backmost successful 2010, who was 35 erstwhile helium was called up by Netherlands for their pre-World Cup camp. He had moved backmost to PSV up of the 2009-10 season, having played for 3 years astatine Blackburn, to boost his chances of getting a telephone to spell to South Africa with the nationalist team. The transportation didn't truly enactment retired arsenic helium had hoped, but erstwhile helium got the telephone telephone from PSV telling him he'd been released, it inactive came arsenic a shock.

"I had a truly unsmooth year, and I didn't get my shot perspective, didn't get my champion shot retired astatine PSV -- truthful they had an enactment to widen my declaration and they didn't widen it," Ooijer, who is present an adjunct manager astatine PSV, tells ESPN.

"They waited conscionable earlier the World Cup. We joined up arsenic a [Netherlands] squad connected Wednesday. On the Monday before, they told maine they weren't extending. It was abbreviated announcement that I knew I was without a club. I told my cause they're not extending my declaration -- I was already 35 astatine the clip and past I was like: what to bash now?

"The campy was the pre-selection one, and I conscionable wanted to beryllium successful the [World Cup] squad. I had attended astatine the World Cup successful '98 and '06 and it was my 3rd World Cup -- and I knew it would beryllium my past 1 ever. So I was focusing connected the nationalist team, I tried to support that absorption and enactment the information I didn't person a declaration adjacent to maine truthful I could absorption connected the nationalist squad arsenic I wanted to enactment my ft successful connected everything."

Those teammates who knew Ooijer good had seen however helium compartmentalised the decease of his parents, losing them some implicit a two-year play successful his 20s. His nine vocation woes wouldn't impact him.

"The boys knew maine for a agelong clip truthful they knew I could abstracted things easy careless of having a batch going connected successful my backstage life," helium says. "So they knew. I told them I volition absorption connected the World Cup.

"I needed to beryllium focused, crisp and fit. So I thought I'll go, and I'll spot from determination -- if I get immoderate minutes yes. Or no, possibly I'll retire. So I was focusing connected the World Cup. In the end, I ended up successful the squad and I played the quarterfinal against Brazil."

Ooijer was called into the starting lineup conscionable 20 minutes earlier that World Cup lucifer against Brazil aft Joris Mathijsen picked up an wounded successful the warmup. Ooijer went connected to enactment successful a singular show arsenic the Netherlands knocked retired Brazil, 2-1.

Though helium was 35 astatine the time, it prompted a flood of interest. He already knew Ajax were keen to enlistee him, but past came offers from abroad. He parked the excitement, delegating it each to his agent. "I told him I wanted to conscionable absorption connected the World Cup and you cognize what I privation and don't want, and support it distant from maine and I don't privation to perceive thing astir it," Ooijer said. "During the World Cup I was not focusing connected immoderate clubs."

Ooijer's last lucifer successful the Netherlands jersey proved to beryllium that quarterfinal against Brazil. The Netherlands would spell connected to the last to look Spain, losing to Andres Iniesta's extra-time goal.

Ooijer phoned his cause and told him helium was retiring. It was the cleanable end: astir a decennary earlier, his planetary debut was against Brazil, and present his last lucifer was against Brazil. It was afloat circle, truthful helium went connected vacation with teammates Arjen Robben, Mark van Bommel and Giovanni van Bronkhurst and their families. They trained a small together.

"I was acceptable and the boys were saying I was anserine to discontinue arsenic I'd conscionable played successful a World Cup quarterfinal. So I called the manager and said, what's near for me? I said let's effort PSV again but they said no. Ajax was there, I was a small uncertain astir going determination due to the fact that of the rivalry with PSV, but I knew their manager Martin Jol truthful I went there. Once you retire, you discontinue -- you don't get clip back."

There helium played a play arsenic understudy to Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld. He was the elder statesman successful a dressing country afloat of young talent, similar Christian Eriksen, Daley Blind, Luis Suarez and Siem de Jong.

"I was the grandad of the squad," Ooijer said. "But I liked the role." He'd play 2 seasons astatine Ajax and retired successful 2012. The World Cup performances granted Ooijer 2 other years connected the field.

Ronaldo, 38 successful 2 months, is besides towards the extremity of his career, though helium has shown nary involvement successful retirement. Pundits person raised doubts that apical European clubs volition beryllium funny successful Ronaldo, contempt his pedigree -- but conscionable inquire Ooijer oregon Breen: A bully World Cup could rapidly alteration that. Ronaldo whitethorn among the astir well-known footballers connected the planet, but there's thing similar showing up connected the world's biggest stage, the World Cup.