Read for 2 minutesUpdated: July 7, 2026 03:07 AM IST
Cristiano Ronaldo The last World Cup campaign ended at the hands of familiar foes Spain Portugal lost 1-0 in Dallas on Monday night in the round of 16. This means that Ronaldo will join the many legends of the game who failed to win the coveted World Cup trophy during their careers.
Substitute Mikel Merino scored in extra time to send his side into the quarter-finals and extend their run without conceding a goal.
Merino struck in the 91st minute after fellow substitute Ferran Torres slipped a pass behind the Portugal defence. European champions Spain recorded another clean sheet as Portugal crashed out of the World Cup.
Ronaldo became the first player to score in all 6 editions of the World Cup in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026. He has scored 11 goals in World Cups and is the all-time leading goalscorer for Portugal in World Cups.
On Sunday night, Ronaldo admitted that the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup will be his last. Playing in his sixth World Cup, Ronaldo renewed his bid to win the title for the first time in his illustrious career when Portugal faced Spain in the Round of 16 in Dallas.
“Yes, this is my last. Let’s go and enjoy it,” Ronaldo said in a pre-match press conference. It was a rather confrontational interaction with reporters, with Ronaldo calling out reporters and telling them he “didn’t like it”.
During the press conference, Ronaldo also pointed out a journalist. “Let him ask a question, I don’t like him,” he said. The reporter then asked what was the hardest part of playing in the World Cup at 41, to which Ronaldo replied: “The hardest part is talking to some of you. Especially the ones I don’t like. You’re one of them. I just need to see the face and I’ll remember better.”
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A six-time Champions League winner with Manchester United and Real Madrid, the World Cup will be the only major trophy missing from Ronaldo’s overflowing cabinet, with Portugal winning the Euros in 2016.