The joy of being a national hero was apparently too much to contain for Edinson Cavani after his two strikes proved vital to Uruguay's qualification into the quarter-finals. The night of the 29-year-old forward, however, came to an abrupt end following an injury which forced his substitution in the 74th-minute.
Prior to him being replaced, a moment of sportsmanship was witnessed as Cristiano Ronaldo - who had his team trailing at the time - was seen assisting Cavani off the pitch in a very gentle manner. The moment has seemingly stuck with the Paris Saint-Germain superstar and he was only full of admiration for the Portuguese skipper in his very emotional post-match interview.
"We've played against the best player in the world," Cavani said.
"He's always going to be an idol for me."
See full interview in the tweet below (geo-restrictions apply):
"It's a thrill. I'm speechless."
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 30, 2018
Edinson Cavani after sending his country to just their second World Cup quarterfinal since 1970. pic.twitter.com/310k8HoRNx