Within 24 hours, football lost two of its defining personas. Neymar collapsed in tears after Brazil's exit to Norway, calling his international career over. Cristiano Ronaldo, calmer but no less final, confirmed his sixth World Cup would be his last after Portugal fell to Spain. Both moments look like sport. Underneath, they are studies in identity loss, showing two contrasting ways elite performers begin to separate from a persona built over decades in front of millions.