Close to tears and on his own as Ronaldo's World Cup dream ends

Arlington, United States: Cristiano Ronaldo laboured through his last World Cup match Monday as the dream of winning the biggest prize of all ended in a 1-0 defeat to Spain and left him fighting back tears.

The 41-year-old Portugal captain and one of the best players of all time says he will now go away and think about what comes next. biznow.biz

He has won it all in a trophy-laden career at some of Europe's biggest clubs, and tasted European glory with his country.

But among his bulging trophy cabinet there will be no World Cup winners medal, and he was largely ineffectual as he huffed and puffed through a disappointing last-16 clash in Texas.

"That's football, that's the life of a footballer," he said, struggling to raise his voice above the crushing disappointment.

"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and you have to move on."

Ronaldo, the leading scorer in the history of men's international football, said he would leave the World Cup stage "with a clear conscience".

"The truth is, the biggest title I won with the national team was in 2016 (Euros), which for me is just as significant as a World Cup, honestly," he said.

Ronaldo's best World Cup will always remain the semi-finals 20 years ago.

His display in a disappointing game summed up what the veteran talisman has become in recent years -- a shadow of the player that one struck fear into opponents.

He had three attempts at goal and was a peripheral figure playing through the centre of an ineffectual Portugal attack.

He scored three times at the tournament in North America in his World Cup farewell -- twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan and a penalty against Croatia in the last 32.

Ronaldo did not register a single assist at the tournament and at one point against Spain threw his hands up in the air as a team-mate's pass went astray.

He left the pitch at the home of the Dallas Cowboys on his own.

Billionaire footballer

Ronaldo went from growing up in a poor family on the island of Madeira, with an alcoholic father, to become a global superstar.

His eternal thirst for records coupled with a relentless drive for self-improvement and tireless devotion to his art sustained him into his 40s.

Off the field he is a phenomenon too -- the first billionaire footballer, boasting 671 million followers on Instagram and his "Siuuu!" celebration mimicked by star-struck children the world over.

But there was to be no Hollywood-style World Cup happy ending for the attacker, who played first for Sporting Lisbon, before becoming a global icon at Manchester United.

After six years and Champions League glory there he lit up the Bernabeu with Real Madrid, where he conquered Europe four more times.

Then came Juventus, a stint back at United, and now the figurehead of Saudi Arabia's bid for footballing respectability at Al Nassr.

His many accolades and prizes also include five Ballon d'Ors.

In recent years the narrative around Ronaldo has shifted.

With his powers on the wane and lacking the mesmerising turn of foot and pace that were once his hallmark, he moved from the wings to a more traditional number nine role.

Ronaldo and Portugal coach Roberto Martinez have been accused of dragging his international career out beyond its sell-by date.

Martinez made two double changes late on as they chased the game against Spain, but Ronaldo remained on the pitch regardless.

Speaking on the eve of the match, Ronaldo insisted: "I am not going to be more Cristiano Ronaldo or less because I win the World Cup."

Doha: Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said he wouldn’t make any decisions about his international future in the heat of the moment, but Portugal’s exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 seems to have made things clear about his career.

A stoppage-time strike from substitute Mikel Merino sent Spain past Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16 at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on Monday, and Ronaldo’s last shot at football’s biggest trophy went up in smoke.

“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,” the 41-year-old Ronaldo said reports after the match.

“I don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment,” he said.

“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,” Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo made history in Portugal’s second match - against Uzbekistan - at the 2026 World Cup when he became the first player to score at six editions of the global football extravaganza, before making it a brace 33 minutes later. Ronaldo scored another goal off a spot kick against Croatia in Portugal’s Round of 32 clash, which eventually became his last goal at World Cup tournaments.

It was his 27th match in the FIFA World Cup tournaments since his first finals appearance at Germany 2006.

“It’s frustrating to go out like this, but we can hold our heads high,” added the Al Nassr forward.

“That’s football, that’s the life of a footballer. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And it has to move on.”

Ronaldo scored his maiden tournament goal against Iran, and helped Portugal reach their first semi-final in 40 years. He went on to play, and score at least one goal, at South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 where he scored a stunning hat-trick against Spain, and Qatar 2002.

Ronaldo has spent two decades being Portugal’s most celebrated footballer, and surely he has been the biggest influence in his country’s run at the global stage.

Prior to his arrival, Portugal have only made it to the FIFA spectacle three times in 76 years since it’s inception, in 1966, 1986 and 2002.

The European powerhouse has made it to every FIFA World Cup tournament since Ronaldo’s arrival, but the fourth place finish in 2006 remains his best run.

His 11 World Cup goals remain a Portugal record, and he sits joint ninth along with Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis and Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann, but that is nowhere close to the table topper Lionel Messi (21) of Argentina.

Ronaldo, Messi and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa are the only players to have played across six World Cups, and the Portugal captain also holds the distinction of being the only player to score in all of them.

He also possesses record for most caps (233) and also holds the all-time men’s international scoring record with 146 goals.

Under Ronaldo, Portugal lifted the 2016 European Championship for the first time, and the Al Nassr skipper relished the accomplishment.

“Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won any titles,” Ronaldo said.

“So, I’m happy. The truth is that the biggest title I won with the national team was in 2016, which for me has the same significance as the World Cup, honestly.

“Therefore, I repeat, I leave with a clear conscience, having done my best, and that’s it. Tomorrow will be a new day, and life goes on.”

“We have to pick ourselves up and carry on,” Ronaldo said after the tournament exit on Monday.

However, only time will tell how long he is willing to do so.

Atlanta: Egypt coach Hossam Hassan claimed his side had been “cheated” out of a place in the World Cup quarter-finals after Argentina staged a stunning late comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 yesterday.

“I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today, we have suffered injustice,” Hassan said in an explosive press conference.

The Pharaohs had a Mostafa Zico goal ruled out when they were leading 1-0 when VAR intervened to spot a foul on Lisandro Martinez much earlier in the move.

Zico did then put Egyptian on the brink of a place in the last eight for the first time by doubling their lead.

Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan speaks with French referee Francois Letexier as Egypt's forward #10 Mohamed Salah looks on. (Photo by Roberto Schmidt / AFP)

However, the defending champions hit back as Cristian Romero reduced the arrears before Lionel Messi, who saw a first-half penalty saved, smashed in the equaliser with his eighth goal of the tournament. The controversy did not end there, though, as in the build-up to Argentina’s winner scored by Enzo Fernandez, Egypt believe they should have instead been awarded a penalty for a pull by Alexis Mac Allister on Hamdy Fathy.

“We haven’t seen respect or fair play. There has not been respect or fair play,” Hassan said.

“A penalty was ruled out, was not even checked by VAR. A second goal was remarkably disallowed. There has not even been a VAR check when we have all seen the image of the (shirt) being pulled back.”

وقّعت مؤسسة دوري نجوم قطر اتفاقية رعاية جديدة مع شركة “ترند كار كير”، الشركة القطرية المتخصصة في العناية بالسيارات، وذلك للعام الثاني على التوالي، في تأكيد على نجاح الشراكة بين الطرفين واستمرار التعاون بما يخدم الأهداف المشتركة.

وتمتد الاتفاقية الجديدة لموسمين ، 2026/2027 و2027/2028، بما يعكس الثقة المتبادلة بين الجانبين والحرص على مواصلة التعاون في إطار رؤية مشتركة تسهم في تحقيق المزيد من النجاحات.

وتسعى شركة “ترند كار كير” إلى تقديم خدمات متميزة ومنتجات عالية الجودة تلبي تطلعات واحتياجات عملائها، فيما تأتي هذه الاتفاقية ضمن استراتيجية مؤسسة دوري نجوم قطر الهادفة إلى تعزيز شراكاتها مع الشركات الوطنية وتوسيع قاعدة الرعاة والشركاء.

وبهذه المناسبة، قال السيد ناصر يعقوب لرم سالمين، مدير إدارة المبيعات والتسويق في مؤسسة دوري نجوم قطر:

“يسعدنا تجديد الشراكة مع شركة ترند كار كير للعام الثاني على التوالي، وهو ما يعكس نجاح التعاون والثقة المتبادلة بين الجانبين. ونرحب باستمرارهم ضمن قائمة الرعاة والشركاء، ونتمنى لهم تحقيق المزيد من النجاحات والوصول إلى تطلعاتهم المستقبلية. ويأتي هذا التعاون في إطار استراتيجيتنا الرامية إلى تعزيز الجوانب التجارية والتسويقية، وحرصنا المستمر على توسيع آفاق التعاون مع مختلف الجهات والمؤسسات والشركات، بما يحقق المصالح المشتركة.”

وتؤكد هذه الاتفاقية، التي تمتد حتى نهاية موسم 2027/2028، التزام مؤسسة دوري نجوم قطر ببناء شراكات استراتيجية طويلة الأمد مع القطاع الخاص، بما يسهم في دعم مسابقاتها وفعالياتها وتعزيز منظومة كرة القدم القطرية

كما قال السيد خالد طالب عبد الله الصيعري، الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة ترند كار كير نؤكد على تجديد تعاوننا مع مؤسسة دوري نجوم قطر نجاح التعاون بين الجانبين، ويعكس ما تقوم عليه الشراكات الاستراتيجية من التزام، واحترافية، ورؤية مشتركة.”

“ويأتي تمديد اتفاقية الشراكة، بصفتنا شريك أعمال لمؤسسة دوري نجوم قطر، خلال موسمي 2026/2027 و2027/2028، امتدادًا لما تحقق خلال الفترة الماضية، ودافعًا لمواصلة العمل المشترك بما يحقق تطلعات الطرفين.

“وفي شركة ترند كار كير، ننظر إلى الشراكات الاستراتيجية باعتبارها ركيزةً أساسية في رؤيتنا، ونحرص على تعزيز حضورنا في أبرز المحافل الرياضية والمجتمعية، من خلال شراكات تقوم على الاحترافية، والالتزام، والتميز.

“وأعرب عن خالص الشكر والتقدير إلى مؤسسة دوري نجوم قطر على ثقتها في ترند كار كير، ونتطلع إلى مواصلة هذا التعاون، والبناء على ما تحقق، بما يدعم نجاح هذه الاتفاقية ويحقق تطلعات الطرفين خلال الموسمين المقبلين.

Doha, Qatar: Portugal arrived at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with high expectations and some of the biggest talents in world football, led by the veteran Cristiano Ronaldo, who remained as dangerous as ever.

Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves and Vitinha, all multiple trophy winners with Paris Saint-Germain, joined players of the calibre of Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva in a squad that many felt was Portugal’s best ever at a World Cup.

Indeed, there were hopes this would be the generation to eclipse their great semi-finalist sides of 1966 and 2006, but that dream was shattered on Monday by a 1-0 last-16 defeat to Spain.

“Of course we’re sad. We came here with one objective, and that was to win the World Cup,” Manchester United midfielder Fernandes said after the game.

“There’s no way we can be positive about this, not when we didn’t go all the way. I know Portugal have never won the World Cup, but we always aim high. I genuinely believe this group had the quality to win the whole tournament , but we must not lose belief.”

Portugal went into the Round of 16 having won only two of their four matches in normal time. They beat Uzbekistan 5-0 in Group K, and made it through the Round of 32 with a stoppage-time winner against Croatia. This time, Roberto Martinez’s side suffered a similarly cruel ending themselves at the hands of Spain

After holding off La Roja’s fierce attack throughout normal time, the Portuguese defence was finally broken by substitute Mikel Merino’s 91st minute winner.

“We gave it everything, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to win”, said Manchester City defender Dias. “It was one of the closest games we’ve had against Spain, at least since I’ve been here. We had plenty of chances, but we just couldn’t find the goal that would have swung things our way. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side.”

The Iberian derby marked the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic World Cup journey.

Martinez ends Portugal tenure

Also saying farewell is coach Martinez, who brought his three-and-a-half-year spell in charge of Portugal to a close. Having led his side to UEFA Nations League glory, Martinez said he was proud of everything they had achieved together.

“I don’t feel disappointed, but I’m sad that we lost,” the Spanish coach said.

“I really thought we would get eight games at this tournament. But I’m incredibly proud. We went toe to toe with one of the favourites.

“You have to take your chances when you get them, otherwise you leave the game for the taking. But right now, I feel nothing but pride in the way we played and the character we showed.”

With some changes already confirmed and others expected to follow, Portugal are now trying to look to the future, especially as they will be one of the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2030.

Many of the Portuguese squad should still be around in four years’ time, and more talent is on the way, with Portugal being crowned U-17 world champions in 2025. Once again, expectations will be sky-high.

“We have to look to the future differently now,” stressed Fernandes. “We have to be truer to ourselves and make the most of what we already have within this group. We have to try to play more our way, in our own style, and find ways to make teams respect us more.” (FIFA)