Watch: Cristiano Ronaldo in Tears as Portugal Exit World Cup After Spains Late Winner
Cristiano Ronaldo's FIFA World Cup journey ended in heartbreak as Portugal lost 1-0 against Spain in the 2026 Round of 16. Substitute Mikel Merino scored the decisive goal in stoppage time, sending Spain into the quarterfinals.
In the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup journey came to an emotional end as Portugal suffered a 1-0 defeat against Spain in Dallas. The decisive moment arrived deep into second half stoppage time when substitute Mikel Merino scored the winning goal, sending Spain into the quarterfinals for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010. Ronaldo had already confirmed before the tournament that this would be his final World Cup appearance.
After the final whistle, the 41 year old forward was overcome with emotion and broke down in tears as teammates gathered around to comfort him. Fans inside the stadium also applauded the legendary striker, whose World Cup career began in 2006. Although Portugal was eliminated, Ronaldo remained a constant threat and forced Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon into 2 important first half saves. Spain also created history with its defensive record.
The team registered a sixth consecutive World Cup clean sheet, setting a new tournament record and moving past the previous mark jointly held by Italy in 1990 and Switzerland across the 2006 and 2010 editions. Simon extended his personal shutout streak to 609 minutes, surpassing Walter Zenga's long standing World Cup record of 517 minutes. Spain will now face either USA or Belgium in the quarterfinals as it continues its pursuit of a second World Cup title.