Ronaldo Bows Out of His Final World Cup in Tears as Portugal Crash Out Against Spain

7th July 2026 at 9:36 AM

2 minutes read

Arlington (Texas) : Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo bid an emotional farewell to the FIFA World Cup after his side suffered a 0-1 defeat to fierce European rivals Spain in the Round of 16 of the 23rd FIFA World Cup on Monday night. A tearful Ronaldo walked off the pitch as more than 90,000 spectators rose to their feet and gave him a standing ovation for completing a record-equalling sixth World Cup appearance. Argentina legend Lionel Messi is the only other player to have featured in six World Cups, while Ronaldo remains the only footballer to have scored in all six editions.
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Substitute Merino’s Late Winner Ends Portugal’s Campaign
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The only goal of the match came in the first minute of stoppage time after the regulation 90 minutes, when Spain substitute Mikel Merino found the net to send Spain into the quarter-finals and eliminate Portugal.
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Merino shattered Ronaldo’s dream of lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy with Portugal. Just 24 hours earlier, Brazil star Neymar had announced his retirement from international football after his side’s 2-1 defeat to Norway.
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World Cup Title Remains the Missing Trophy
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The 41-year-old Ronaldo endured a disappointing end to his World Cup career. Despite creating several opportunities, including a final effort in the closing moments, he was unable to find the breakthrough for Portugal.
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With 27 World Cup appearances, Ronaldo is second on the all-time list behind Lionel Messi, who has played 30 matches. Ronaldo has guided Portugal to one UEFA European Championship title and two UEFA Nations League crowns, but the FIFA World Cup remained the one major trophy missing from his glittering career. His great rival Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022.
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After the match, Ronaldo said, “I helped Portugal win three major titles. For me, our Euro 2016 triumph is every bit as special as winning the World Cup.”

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Portugal’s Performance Across Ronaldo’s Six World Cups
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2006 – Semi-finals
2010 – Round of 16
2014 – Group Stage
2018 – Round of 16
2022 – Quarter-finals
2026 – Round of 16
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World Record of 146 International Goals; Sunil Chhetri Fourth
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Ronaldo has played 233 international matches for Portugal and scored a world-record 146 goals.
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In the list of highest international goal-scorers, Lionel Messi is second with 124 goals, Iran’s Ali Daei is third with 108, while India’s Sunil Chhetri is fourth with 95 goals.
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Ronaldo Yet to Retire from International Football
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Ronaldo finished his World Cup career with 11 goals, placing him ninth on the tournament’s all-time scoring list. Messi leads the chart with 20 goals.
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Speaking after Portugal’s defeat to Spain, a visibly emotional Ronaldo said, “This was my last World Cup. It hurts deeply to say goodbye like this. I always gave everything I had to help Portugal win, and I leave this tournament with a clear conscience. That’s the life of a footballer. Even after disappointment, you have to move forward. I will now spend some time with my family. As for retiring from international football, I don’t want to make any hasty decision.”