Mikel Merino stuns Portugal, ends Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup run

Mikel Merino’s first-minute goal of second-half stoppage time sent Spain past Portugal 1-0 on Monday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and ended Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup run. The result pushed Spain into the quarterfinals and left Portugal out in the round of 16, with Ronaldo walking off the biggest stage of his career in tears.

The match also sharpened an uncomfortable question that has hovered over Portugal throughout the tournament: how much of the team’s plan still revolved around deference to Ronaldo. Roberto Martinez had brushed aside concern after Portugal’s 1-1 draw with Congo DR, saying there was “no sense” in taking Ronaldo out, and later suggested Ronaldo could still be a factor at the 2030 World Cup, when he would be 45. Rúben Dias tried to wall off the noise, calling the criticism “noise” and “insignificant,” but Portugal’s approach suggested a side still wrestling with how to balance merit with legacy.

Ronaldo’s exit carried the weight of a career-long World Cup contradiction. This was his sixth tournament, and ESPN’s history page said he ended 2026 with four appearances, three goals and a round-of-16 finish for Portugal. The broader World Cup ledger is stark: 27 appearances, 11 goals and no title. Portugal’s best result with Ronaldo was fourth place in 2006, followed by round-of-16 exits in 2010 and 2018, a group-stage elimination in 2014 and a quarterfinal run in 2022.

The 2026 tournament had already given Ronaldo one landmark and one warning. He became the first player to score in six different World Cups when he scored against Uzbekistan on June 23, but he also arrived under discipline pressure after a red card against the Republic of Ireland on November 14, 2025, raised the prospect of missing at least one World Cup match, the first red card of his Portugal career.

Portugal’s emotional backdrop made the Spain defeat even harder to absorb. After beating Croatia 2-1 on July 2, Portugal paid tribute to the late Diogo Jota, and Ronaldo scored in that match before facing Spain. Against Spain, Merino delivered the decisive blow late, and the final image was of Ronaldo leaving the tournament that had finally closed the book on his World Cup pursuit.