The end of a historic run

Following their elimination in the round of 16 by Spain, Portugal bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup, marking the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s journey in the tournament.

At 41, the Portuguese star, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner throughout a historic career, is the only player to have scored goals in six different World Cup tournaments.

In total, CR7 found the net 11 times and provided two assists in 27 World Cup matches between 2006 and 2026.

His departure from the tournament is a sad moment for football.

The image that marked his farewell

The image of the national team captain standing motionless after the defeat to Spain, receiving a standing ovation at AT&T Stadium in Texas, will remain etched in the memories of fans around the world for many years to come.

On the pitch, he also received warm gestures from several opponents, including Barcelona’s young star, Lamine Yamal. At 18, the Spaniard has already won the Kopa Trophy twice and been nominated twice for the Ballon d'Or.

With a 22-year age gap between them, the embrace between Ronaldo and Yamal symbolised a true passing of the torch. The young Spaniard is one of many players from the new generation who grew up watching the Portuguese star dominate the pitch, both for his national team and for his clubs.

In a post-match interview, Yamal made a point of emphasising his admiration for Ronaldo, as well as for the Brazilian Neymar, another football great who is bidding farewell to the tournament: “I’m happy for Neymar, even though he’s no longer playing, and for Cristiano. They shaped the childhoods of all today’s players. Anything good that happens to them will be good for me.” (Estadão)

“I’m a fan of Cristiano, his values and his lifestyle.” – Luis de la Fuente

After the match, the manager who led Yamal and Spain to victory against Portugal, Luis de la Fuente, also emphasised Ronaldo’s importance as a role model for young players: “I’ve spoken to Cristiano on several occasions. I’m a fan of him, his values and his lifestyle, and I’ve told him so. I think he’s a role model for young people.” (GOAL)

An inspiration for a new generation

It was Ronaldo’s incredible resilience and longevity that allowed him to continue competing at the highest level even after turning 40. His work ethic and sheer willpower have been a source of inspiration for players, managers and fans around the world throughout his entire career.

Whilst Portugal were still in the competition, Ronaldo’s influence could be seen particularly in the celebrations – both within football, such as when the Brazilian Vinícius Júnior replicated the Portuguese star’s famous ‘hands on hips’ celebration after scoring against Haiti, and in other sports, such as when Italian tennis player Flavio Cobolli celebrated his match point against Alex de Minaur by imitating CR7’s iconic “SIU”.

“Portugal Always”: a legend’s final message

After announcing his retirement from the World Cup, Ronaldo posted a photo on Instagram alongside the Portugal squad with a simple yet meaningful caption: ‘Portugal Always’.

The post was flooded with comments expressing gratitude for everything he has achieved in the tournament over the last 20 years.

Among those who left messages of affection were the Brazilian Marcelo, a two-time nominee for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ (his Real Madrid team-mate), the Australian Sam Kerr, a five-time nominee for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ Féminin, and Frenchman Kylian Mbappé, an eight-time nominee for the Ballon d'Or and 2018 World Cup winner, who wrote: ‘A legend forever🥹’.

Mbappé has always cited Ronaldo as one of his greatest inspirations since childhood, and the two have built a relationship marked by mutual respect and admiration over the years.

Ronaldo’s post also received likes from the likes of Spain’s Sergio Ramos, a six-time nominee for the Ballon d'Or (another of Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid team-mates), Denmark’s Rasmus Højlund, a former nominee for the Kopa Trophy, and the Colombian Linda Caicedo, a former nominee for the Women’s Kopa Trophy and the Women’s Ballon d'Or.

The football world pays tribute

Many other football legends also made a point of showing their affection for Ronaldo following the announcement of his World Cup retirement.

Romário, one of the greatest goalscorers in football history and a 1994 World Cup winner with Brazil, was also moved by the moment and said: “We can only thank Cristiano Ronaldo for everything he has done.” (Romário TV)

Youri Djorkaeff, a two-time nominee for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ and a World Cup winner with France in 1998, is another football legend who spoke out about Ronaldo’s retirement from the tournament. In Djorkaeff’s view, Portugal could have gone further had they built their game plan around the Portuguese star: “If you take Cristiano Ronaldo to the World Cup, the team has to play for Cristiano Ronaldo, and that didn’t happen at all. If you’re going to take him, you have to build the team around him.” (O Globo, RMC)

CR7, captain to the very end

The comments by Roberto Martínez, Portugal’s manager at the World Cup, however, seem to reflect the view of someone who did indeed place Ronaldo at the heart of the national team’s plans. After all, at the age of 41, the striker started every match in the tournament and played virtually every minute of Portugal’s campaign.

“Cristiano is an example we must celebrate.” – Roberto Martínez

Following their elimination, Martínez made a point of praising the captain’s role: “He has been a true role model. Not just because of the statistics – goals, assists and everything he does in the box to help our attacking play – but also because of his daily commitment and the way he lives and breathes football. He is an example we must celebrate. We’re talking about a footballing icon. There aren’t many Cristiano Ronaldos. And I want to thank him forever for everything he gave in this World Cup. The dream was to win the title, and he gave it his all. He was an incredible role model as captain, on the pitch, but also on a personal level: in the changing room, amongst the players… It’s something I think all the players and the entire coaching staff will carry with us forever. A role model as a player, as an athlete, and as the human being behind the athlete.” (CNN Portugal)

This effusive praise for Ronaldo turned out to be one of Martínez’s final statements as manager of the Portuguese national team before stepping down from the role.

A farewell to the World Cup, but not to Portugal

His successor, Jorge Jesus, already knows the striker well, having worked with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, the Saudi club where the Portuguese player still plays.

“Cristiano is a symbol of Portuguese football, a symbol of the national team, a symbol of Portugal.” – Jorge Jesus

When asked whether Ronaldo would be called up to the national team again, Jesus expressed admiration similar to that of Martínez, replying: “Cristiano is a symbol of Portuguese football, a symbol of the national team, a symbol of Portugal. I had the pleasure of working with him; it was incredibly easy. As long as he’s playing and is fit to be called up, I’ll call him up.” (Metrópoles)

Thus, although his World Cup story has come to an end, everything suggests that Ronaldo’s career with the Portuguese national team is set to continue.

The scale of a unique career

He is already the all-time leading goalscorer in international football, with 146 goals for Portugal, and is still chasing a milestone that few would have imagined him reaching: 1,000 career goals. Currently, the Portuguese star has scored 976 goals and is getting ever closer to that target.

“For me, Euro 2016 is just as important as a World Cup.” – Cristiano Ronaldo

For many fans, it may be hard to see their idol bid farewell to the tournament without ever lifting the trophy, but Ronaldo himself insists he feels fulfilled. The Portuguese player has already stated that he considers winning Euro 2016 to be an achievement of enormous importance, comparable to winning a World Cup: “I’ve won three titles for Portugal. Before Cristiano, Portugal had never won a single title. That’s why I’m happy. The truth is that the biggest title I’ve won with the national team was the 2016 European Championship, which, for me, is on a par with a World Cup. Honestly.” (Sky Sports Football)

His statement is understandable – the 2016 European Championship was the Portuguese national team’s first major international title. With Ronaldo as their leader, the country also won the Nations League in 2019 and 2025.

The mindset that has never changed

The star prefers not to dwell on frustration or disappointment.

As he has done throughout his career, his focus remains on the next challenge. Ronaldo takes pride in everything he has achieved and remains motivated to discover what lies ahead.

In his own words: “That’s the life of a footballer. Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. You have to move on. Tomorrow is a new day. Life goes on.” (Sky Sports Football)