Cristiano Ronaldo emotional after Spain eliminate Portugal from the FIFA World Cup

Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo's journey at the FIFA World Cup, and probably with the Portuguese national team, comes to my end. Portugal lost to Spain 1-0 in the Round of 16 contest on Monday, July 6, ending their hopes of winning their maiden World Cup title.

Cristiano Ronaldo in tears after Portugal's World Cup exit

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo came into his sixth FIFA World Cup to finally win the first World Cup trophy, the only one that has been missing from his illustrious career.

On Monday, Spain put a stop to that dream and eliminated Ronaldo-led Portugal from the 2026 tournament by scoring a late winner at the Dallas Stadium. For the entire match, both European sides played a dull, defensive match as both teams failed to break the deadlock despite few attempts.

An unfortunate injury saw Portugal's Nuno Mendes leave the pitch unexpectedly which changed the momentum of the match for Spain. In the 85th minute, coach Luis de la Fuente brought on Mikel Merino who scored the match winner in the 90+1st minute, making it difficult for Portugal to come back. Spain secured their Quarter-final spot and will play against Belgium.

Cristiano Ronaldo has no regrets

Portugal's loss meant an end to Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career. The 41-year-old was emotional and in tears after the loss. He soaked in the atmosphere as he thanked and apologised to the fans in the stands. The Portuguese has already said that this will be his last World Cup and football's biggest stage will definitely miss him.

Following the narrow defeat, Cristiano Ronaldo opened up to the media about his "clear conscience" as a player. "I'm sad to leave the World Cup this way. As I said yesterday, I gave it my all, and I leave with a clear conscience. That's the life of a footballer. You have to move forward", he said.

Ronaldo also clarified that while his World Cup career is over, he is not drawing the curtains on his international career yet. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner said, "It was my last World Cup, yes. But as for the rest, there's time to think, to be with my family, and not say things in the heat of the moment."

Ronaldo could not lead his country to win the first ever World Cup but the player is happy with the legacy he is leaving behind. "I've won three titles for Portugal; before Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal hadn’t won a single title. The biggest title the national team has ever won was in 2016, the European Championship, which, to be honest, is just as significant to me as a World Cup", he concluded.

Ronaldo leaves the World Cup with 27 appearances and with 11 tournament goal. He is one of the only three players to appear in six World Cups: 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026.

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