Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup match for Portugal ended in a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the last 16, ending one of football’s greatest careers without the biggest prize.
He cried when Mikel Merino’s stoppage-time winning goal in Dallas beat their neighbors and the World Cup story ended. The 41-year-old, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, five-time Champions League winner and Euro 2016 winner, has scored a world record 976 goals for his club and country.
He scored a record six goals in the World Cup. But the closest he came to victory was when Portugal reached the semi-finals of the inaugural competition in 2006.
The player had already announced that this would be his last World Cup, but when asked if he would continue playing for his country, he said: “I will meet my family and make a decision with peace of mind.” It is still debatable whether Portugal would have had a better chance of winning this World Cup without the pressure of starting Al Nasr’s Ronaldo in every match.
But for BBC pundit Chris Sutton, who was in Texas for BBC Radio 5 Live, there was no doubt about it.
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“He walks around the pitch like a grandpa, which is why Portugal are away,” said the former England striker. “Cristiano Ronaldo did nothing, he did nothing.
“What is Roberto Martinez doing? How can you flatter such an athlete?
“Portugal lost because of Roberto Martinez.”
Coach Martínez announced his resignation at the final whistle and praised Ronaldo, a “soccer icon.” “We have to thank him for what he tried to do in this World Cup,” Martinez said. International sports competitions
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“His dream was to win this World Cup, he made an astonishing example of it.
“He is a shining example of football and the person behind the athlete.”
