An emotional Cristiano Ronaldo expressed that he has a “clear conscience” after exiting his final World Cup, as Portugal was defeated 1-0 by Spain in the round of 16 on Monday in Arlington, Texas.
Spain’s Mikel Merino netted the decisive goal in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, securing Spain’s advancement to the quarterfinals and knocking out their Iberian rivals.
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After the match, an emotional Ronaldo wiped away tears while applauding the crowd at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium). At 41, his World Cup career wraps up with 27 appearances—the second-most ever, trailing only Argentina’s Lionel Messi (30)—but still lacking that one elusive trophy.
He confirmed to the media that this was indeed his last World Cup, but hasn’t fully ruled out future appearances for the national team.
“I’m sad to exit the World Cup like this,” he stated. “As I mentioned yesterday, I gave it my all, and I depart with a clear conscience. That’s the nature of football; you must move on.
“Yes, this was my last World Cup. However, there’s time to reflect, spend with my family, and not rush into decisions.”
Ronaldo aimed to take Portugal to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive tournament, but his journey on the grandest stage of soccer has concluded. He holds the record for most international goals (146) and appearances (233).
He was instrumental in Portugal’s 2016 European Championship victory and in securing two UEFA Nations League titles, yet the World Cup has remained an unattainable achievement for him, with his best showing being a semifinal appearance in 2006 during his tournament debut.
“I’ve given everything. I’ve won three titles with Portugal,” he said. “The 2016 Euros title holds the same significance as a World Cup.”
Ronaldo’s World Cup career concluded eight years after he scored a memorable hat trick against Spain at age 33, in a thrilling 3-3 draw during the group stage, a match often regarded as one of the tournament’s finest, despite neither team advancing to the knockout rounds.
He amassed 11 goals in World Cup history, ranking tied for ninth on the all-time list.
“He’s been a tremendous captain,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martínez after the match.
“I joined Portugal during a time filled with uncertainties and doubts surrounding Cristiano, and he has been a true role model—not just through his goals and assists but with his commitment to the game and how he experiences football. He’s an inspiration, and we must celebrate him.”
“We’re talking about a football icon. There aren’t many individuals like Cristiano Ronaldo. We must appreciate what he has contributed to this World Cup; he aimed to win it not just as a player, but as a captain and as a person. We will carry those memories with us forever.”
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner stands as the only player to score in six World Cups and netted three times in this tournament. However, he faced few opportunities against Spain’s Unai Simón, who achieved a World Cup record of 609 minutes without conceding a goal.
Martínez justified the choice to keep Ronaldo on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes, stating, “When your team is chasing a goal, you cannot substitute Cristiano Ronaldo. He can easily play the full match without issue. His presence in the box, in set pieces, is invaluable—taking him off would not make sense.”
“In extra time, it may have been beneficial to bring on Gonçalo Ramos, but we needed to maintain our structure; it didn’t make sense to remove our top scorer in the 90th minute.”
Contributions to this report were made by ESPN’s Alex Kirkland and The Associated Press.