The curtain has fallen on one of the greatest chapters in football history. Cristiano Ronaldo played his final match at the World Cup against Spain.
At the final whistle of the clash between Spain and Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo could not hold back his tears. His team was knocked out by a goal from Mikel Merino in stoppage time.
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The Portuguese international (233 caps, 146 goals) announced that this was his last World Cup, while leaving the door open for his international future. “The truth is, this was my last World Cup, but as for the rest, I’ll have time to think, to be with my family, to not make any rash decisions, and I’ll continue with my life,” he said.
Like Lionel Messi and Guillermo Ochoa, Cristiano Ronaldo played in his sixth World Cup. He racked up 27 appearances, with only Lionel Messi ahead of him with 30 matches. Ronaldo is the only player in history to have scored in six different World Cup finals tournaments and is the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history (41 years old), behind Roger Milla.
With 11 goals and 2 assists to his name, he never managed to deliver the prestigious trophy to Portugal, with his best run being a semi-final appearance in 2006. While his last match came against Spain on July 7, 2026, his first dates back 20 years, against Angola on June 11, 2006.
This will go down as the biggest flop of a team ever in sports for me, world class talent.
I don’t think I’ll care about football or the Portuguese national team ever again.
I’m Portuguese and watched Ronaldo since I was 12 years old.
It really hurts to lose like this, I’m… pic.twitter.com/voDQMuT2vP
— ThePortugueseXI (@PortugalFPF) July 6, 2026
Piala Dunia 2026
Piala Dunia FIFA 2026 akan menjadi edisi paling revolusioner dalam sejarah sepak bola dunia. Turnamen ini untuk pertama kalinya akan diselenggarakan di tiga negara sekaligus, yaitu Amerika Serikat, Kanada, dan Meksiko. Selain itu, jumlah peserta juga meningkat dari 32 menjadi 48 tim, membuka peluang lebih besar bagi negara-negara dari berbagai konfederasi untuk tampil di panggung global. Format baru ini akan menghadirkan lebih banyak pertandingan, atmosfer kompetisi yang lebih luas, serta jangkauan penonton yang semakin besar di seluruh dunia.
Dengan skala yang jauh lebih besar, FIFA menargetkan turnamen ini sebagai ajang yang tidak hanya kompetitif tetapi juga spektakuler dari sisi teknologi dan pengalaman penonton. Stadion-stadion modern di berbagai kota tuan rumah telah dipersiapkan untuk menghadirkan pertandingan berkelas dunia, didukung oleh inovasi seperti peningkatan sistem VAR dan pengalaman digital bagi fans. diprediksi akan menjadi tonggak baru dalam evolusi sepak bola internasional, memperkuat popularitas olahraga ini sekaligus menciptakan momen-momen bersejarah yang akan dikenang dalam waktu lama.
