New Delhi: cristiano ronaldo He shared a touching message after Portugal’s 2026 FIFA World Cup journey ended with a heartbreaking last-16 loss to Spain.The Portugal captain had announced ahead of the game against Spain that it would be his last game fifa world cup. In the end, Mikel Merino scored the winning goal and the Portuguese team lost 2-1. Portugal’s dreams of lifting the trophy were dashed as Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandez both missed chances. The 41-year-old left the field in tears after playing his final World Cup game.
Ronaldo’s emotional message
After the defeat, Ronaldo posted a photo of the Portuguese team huddled together on Instagram, along with a simple two-word message: “Portugal Semper,” which translates to “Portugal forever.”Despite confirming this is his last World Cup, Ronaldo has not revealed whether he will retire from the national team. After the game, he said he would not make any “rash decisions” about his future in Portugal.
The World Cup journey is coming to an end
Ronaldo’s World Cup journey began in 2006, when Portugal finished fourth. It entered the top 16 in 2010, was eliminated in the group stage in 2014, and was eliminated in the top 16 again in 2018. In 2022, Portugal reached the quarter-finals but was eliminated. That match also saw Lionel Messi lead Argentina to victory.Ronaldo ended his FIFA World Cup career with 27 games played (second-highest among all players) and scored 11 goals. He scored three goals in five games at the 2026 World Cup, but failed to lead Portugal into the last 16.His last World Cup also ended unpopularly. Ronaldo attempted 17 shots in this World Cup and did not create any chances for his teammates, which is the most by any player in the World Cup.
Ronaldo’s last World Cup record
The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, also saw Ronaldo add more milestones to his extraordinary career.When Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 in the round of 32, Ronaldo became the first player in history over the age of 41 to participate in the knockout rounds. This game also featured another veteran player, Luka Modric, and it was the first time in the World Cup that two outfield players over the age of 40 participated.Ronaldo also became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup knockout rounds at 41 years and 147 days. This is also his first goal in the World Cup knockout round.
How Portugal’s election campaign unfolded
Portugal started the new season with a disappointing 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo, with Ronaldo struggling to make an impact.He returned to form against Uzbekistan and scored twice to help Portugal win 5-0. Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao were also on target, while Uzbek goalkeeper Abdulvohid Nematov completed the scoring with an own goal.These two goals helped Ronaldo become Portugal’s top scorer in World Cup history with 10 goals, surpassing Eusebio’s 9 goals. He also became the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup matches, ending a ten-game scoring drought in major international competitions.Portugal had a goalless draw with Colombia in the group stages before beating Croatia in the round of 32, but their journey ended with a painful loss to Spain in the next round, ending Ronaldo’s World Cup journey.
