Cristiano Ronaldo Bows Out After Portugal’s World Cup Exit
Published on July 7, 2026 at 9:57 AM by Edgar Naitha
Portugal’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to a heartbreaking end after a 1-0 defeat to Spain in their Round of 16 clash, with a stoppage-time strike from Mikel Merino sealing Spain’s place in the quarter-finals.
Merino, who came off the bench in the second half, scored the decisive goal in added time to settle a tightly contested Iberian derby and send the reigning European champions into the last eight.
The defeat also marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s FIFA World Cup journey. The 41-year-old had confirmed before the tournament that the 2026 edition would be his final appearance on football’s biggest stage.
Ronaldo bows out after an illustrious international career in which he captained Portugal to the 2016 UEFA European Championship and the 2019 UEFA Nations League titles.
He also leaves as Portugal’s all-time leading scorer and most-capped player, cementing his place among the greatest players in the history of the game.
