Portugal’s extraordinary Cristiano Ronaldo has played his final World Cup match, ending in a 1-0 last-16 defeat against Spain in Dallas.
Mikel Merino’s injury-time goal sent Spain through, leaving the 41-year-old in tears as his tournament dream finally came to an end.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and five-time Champions League winner, holds a world-record 976 goals for club and country.
He has scored at a record six World Cups, though the closest he came to winning it was Portugal’s semi-final appearance in 2006.
The forward had already confirmed this would be his last World Cup, but when asked if he would retire internationally, he said “I will meet the family and take decisions with a calm head.”
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez announced his resignation immediately after the final whistle, having come under fierce criticism for his handling of Ronaldo throughout the tournament.
BBC pundit Chris Sutton, who was present in Texas for BBC Radio 5 Live, did not hold back in his assessment of both player and manager.
“He’s waddling around the field like a grandad, that’s why Portugal are out,” the former England striker said, adding that Ronaldo “does nothing; he did nothing.”
Sutton was equally damning of Martinez, asking “What is Roberto Martinez doing? How can you pander to a player so much?” before declaring “Portugal are out because of Roberto Martinez.”
Despite the criticism, Martinez praised his departing star, calling Ronaldo a “football icon” and saying “we need to thank him for what he tried to do at this World Cup.”
Ronaldo finished the tournament with three goals, yet only created one chance for a team-mate across his five appearances, with 366 players touching the ball more times than him.
Only four players at the tournament had more shots than Ronaldo’s 18, a figure equal to that of seven-goal joint top scorer Erling Haaland at the same stage.
Sutton pointed to the absence of Goncalo Ramos as evidence of mismanagement, saying “It’s an absolute embarrassment from the manager, just pandering to his star player.”
Portugal’s squad boasted significant quality, with four players having helped Paris St-Germain win back-to-back Champions League titles, including Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, and Ramos, who joined AC Milan.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, the Premier League’s player of the year, was also part of a side widely considered capable of going much further in the competition.
Sutton drew a sharp comparison to the 2022 World Cup, when Ronaldo was dropped to the bench for the knockouts and Ramos responded by scoring a hat-trick against Switzerland.
“We’re four years further on, Ronaldo is four years older and look what’s happened,” Sutton said, underlining his view that Martinez failed to make the bold decisions required.
Ronaldo’s great rival Lionel Messi remains in the tournament as joint top scorer with seven goals, the same tally he managed when winning the trophy with Argentina in 2022.
Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo’s former Manchester United team-mate, paid tribute, saying “He is a genius, a superstar” while acknowledging “time gets us all. It’s a sad day for football.”
One Portugal supporter who spoke to the BBC after the defeat captured the bittersweet mood perfectly, saying “We don’t have to cry, we have to laugh because we saw him.”
