Ronaldo ended his World Cup career with a historic negative record
The Portuguese national team ended its run at the 2026 World Cup after losing to Spain 0–1 in the Round of 16. This match marked the final World Cup appearance of 41-year-old Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
After being eliminated from the tournament, the forward confirmed that he would no longer participate in World Cups. At the same time, the loss to Spain marked his eighth defeat in World Cup history, tying the all-time record for the most losses at the World Cup.
In addition to Ronaldo, Australian Matthew Leckie, Mexican Antonio Carbajal, and South Koreans Hong Myung-bo and Son Heung-min each have eight World Cup losses.
After the match, the Portuguese player confirmed that the tournament in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico would be his last World Cup.
“I’m sad to leave the World Cup this way. As I said yesterday, I gave it my all and am leaving the tournament with a clear conscience. That’s the life of a soccer player. You have to move on. Yes, this was my last World Cup. As for the rest—there will be time to think, spend time with my family, and not say anything I’ll regret in the heat of the moment,” said Ronaldo.
At the 2026 World Cup, the forward scored three goals: he scored twice in the match against Uzbekistan (5–0) and converted a penalty kick in the victory over Croatia (2–1).
In total, Ronaldo has played 27 matches at World Cups throughout his career, making his debut at the 2006 World Cup, where the Portuguese national team reached the semifinals. This remains the national team’s best result during the striker’s time with the squad.
Over the course of six World Cups, the Portuguese star has scored 11 goals and ranks among the top ten all-time scorers in the tournament’s history, tied for ninth place.
The next World Cup will take place in 2030 in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, but Ronaldo has already stated that he does not plan to participate. By that time, the legendary striker will be 45 years old.
This was reported by Glavkom.
As a reminder, the Spanish national team became the latest quarterfinalist in the 2026 World Cup, narrowly defeating Portugal in a highly anticipated Iberian derby. The outcome of the Round of 16 match was decided by a single goal scored in stoppage time of the second half.
The Belgian national team confidently defeated the United States 4–1 in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
