Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic World Cup career has finished without international football’s ultimate prize. The 41-year-old was left in tears as Portugal were knocked out of the 2026 World Cup following a dramatic 1-0 last-16 defeat against neighbours Spain in Dallas.
Mikel Merino struck a cruel injury-time winner to send Spain through to the quarter-finals, bringing a poignant end to Ronaldo’s sixth global tournament. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had already confirmed this would be his final World Cup campaign. When asked if he would retire from international football entirely, the Al-Nassr forward stated, “I will meet the family and take decisions with a calm head.”
The fallout from Portugal’s premature exit was immediate, as manager Roberto Martínez announced his resignation at the full-time whistle. “I came to Portugal with the objective of winning the World Cup and because I haven’t won it wouldn’t make sense to continue,” Martínez confirmed.
However, the Spanish tactician faced heavy criticism for his tactical decisions. Pundit Chris Sutton launched a scathing attack on the manager’s refusal to drop the veteran striker, who created only one chance across five matches.
Despite having a star-studded squad featuring Premier League Player of the Year Bruno Fernandes and Paris Saint-Germain’s European champions, Portugal failed to truly click.
Ronaldo departs the tournament holding a world record 976 goals for club and country, including 146 strikes for Portugal. He remains the only player in history to score in six separate World Cups, sitting ninth on the tournament’s all-time scoring list with 11 goals.
Yet the defeat inevitably shifts the eternal debate in favour of his long-term rival Lionel Messi. Having lifted the trophy in 2022, Messi has enjoyed a far higher impact in North America, sitting as the joint top scorer with seven goals to extend his all-time tournament record to 20. Ronaldo’s lone knockout goal across his career remains a penalty in this year’s last-32 win against Croatia.
“He is a genius, a superstar,” former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney reflected. “What he has given to football and millions of people is something very rare. He will be disappointed because he believed he could win this tournament. But time gets us all.”
Read more – England Survive Mexico Scare to Book World Cup Quarter-final Spot
Also see – Brazil’s Old Failings Exposed as Norway Repeat Their 1998 Trick
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