Ronaldo confirms World Cup farewell after Portugal's last-16 exit to Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed he will never play at a World Cup again after Portugal were knocked out 1-0 by Spain in the round of 16 on Monday evening. The late defeat ended Roberto Martinez’s side’s campaign and drew the curtain on Ronaldo’s fifth and final appearance at the tournament.

Ronaldo was seen in tears at the final whistle before addressing the media. “It’s true, this was my last World Cup,” he said. “There will be time to think about everything else, to be with my family, and I want to not make decisions when I’m heated. Life goes on.”

Rather than dwell on the defeat, Ronaldo chose to frame his international legacy around Portugal’s trophy haul. “I have won three titles for Portugal. Before Cristiano, Portugal did not win a single title in history. I won Euro 2016, which for me is like winning a World Cup. I leave with a clear conscience and having given my best for Portugal.”

The defeat also brought an end to Martinez’s tenure as Portugal head coach, with the federation confirming his departure in the aftermath. Ronaldo was generous in his assessment of the outgoing manager: “I loved working with Roberto Martínez, a great human being, a great coach. What he did for Portugal was very significant, it is praiseworthy.”

Bruno Fernandes was less measured in his verdict on Portugal’s overall performance. “I do not think we were successful. We should at least have gone a bit further,” the Manchester United midfielder said. “We came here with a very clear objective, which was to win the World Cup. We were good in the first half, but then we dropped back too much and the opposition had far more possession. We lost to one of the title contenders, one of the favourites.”

Spain, who last won the World Cup in 2010, advance to the quarter-finals where they will face either the USA or Belgium, with the semi-final scheduled for Los Angeles on Friday.

For Ronaldo, attention now turns to club football. Al-Nassr, his Saudi Pro League side, recently appointed Ange Postecoglou — formerly of Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest — as head coach ahead of the 2026/27 season.