Ronaldo's World Cup career ends in Portugal's defeat to Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career ended in tears when Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain in the round of 16 in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, July 6, 2026. Mikel Merino struck Spain's stoppage-time winner, and Ronaldo walked off the pitch visibly emotional after what became his final appearance at football's biggest tournament.

The 2026 campaign was Ronaldo's sixth FIFA World Cup, and he finished it as Portugal's all-time leader in World Cup appearances and goals. After the match, Ronaldo said his exit left him with a clear conscience.

The defeat also ended Roberto Martinez's spell in charge of Portugal. Martinez said he would leave his role as coach after the Spain match, describing the loss as the end of a cycle for the team and rejecting the idea that the result amounted to a failure. He had taken over on January 9, 2023, when the Portuguese Football Federation appointed him to succeed Fernando Santos.

Martinez inherited a side after Portugal's 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Ronaldo again left the field in tears that night at Al Thumama Stadium, and the result sent Morocco into history as the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final. Santos resigned five days later.