Ronaldo left his last World Cup in tears. Portugal lost against Spain 0-1 in the round of 16 in Arlington. This was the sixth World Cup for the 41-year-old star.
Ronaldo left his last World Cup in tears. Portugal lost against Spain 0-1 in the round of 16 in Arlington. This was the sixth World Cup for the 41-year-old star.
Spain controlled possession but could not break down Portugal for 90 minutes. Diogo Costa made five saves, and Unai Simón kept his clean sheet at the other end. The breakthrough came in the first minute of added time.
Bernardo Silva fouled Merino, who restarted quickly and ran to the top of the box. Ferran Torres slid the pass through and Merino finished low past Costa at the near post. Portugal pushed for a leveller, but Silva headed over and Rúben Neves nodded a free kick wide.
Ronaldo played the whole match and managed three shots, two on target, but could not beat Simón, who produced a leaping one-handed stop to deny him in the first half. Portugal mustered only two shots on target to Spain's six.
After the final whistle, Ronaldo stood with tears in his eyes before 18-year-old Lamine Yamal walked over to embrace him. He then waved to the crowd before leaving the pitch in silence.
Ronaldo confirmed this was his final World Cup but stopped short of retiring from international football. "I'm sad to be leaving the World Cup like this. I gave it my all. I did my best, and I'm leaving with a clear conscience," he said. "It was my last World Cup, yes, but I'll now have time to reflect and be with my family. I won't be making any rash decisions."
This was the sixth World Cup for Ronaldo. The 41-year-old star won five European Cups, a European Championship, two Nations Leagues, the record for men's international goals, and more individual awards than any player of his era. But no World Cup trophy.
"He is a legend of football, of history," said Marc Cucurella. Rodri added: "His mentality, the way he has sustained the game for so many years, obviously the numbers he scored, so I think he's the best, or one of the best ever."
Roberto Martínez confirmed his departure minutes after the final whistle. "Yes, this is my last game with the national team," said the Spanish-born coach, who took charge in 2023. "I'm proud. I've had 45 games, and I felt welcomed in Portugal and loved."
Martínez led Portugal to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals and the UEFA Nations League title in June 2025. His contract was due to expire at the end of July.
Spain have now gone six consecutive World Cup matches without conceding, surpassing marks held by Italy and Switzerland. Simón's shutout stretched to 609 minutes, beating Walter Zenga's 517-minute tournament record from 1990.
Spain travel to Los Angeles for a quarter-final against Belgium, who defeated the United States 4-1.
