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Ronaldo in tears dedicates Portugal's qualification to Diogo Jota, one year after his death

Scorer on penalty against Croatia (2-1), Cristiano Ronaldo broke down in tears at the final whistle and put on the Portugal shirt with the number 21 of Diogo Jota, who died exactly one year earlier in a road accident.

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Ronaldo in tears dedicates Portugal's qualification to Diogo Jota, one year after his death
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Cristiano Ronaldo burst into tears at the final whistle of Portugal-Croatia (2-1) on Monday, in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, exactly one year after the death of Diogo Jota in a road accident.

Starter and penalty scorer, CR7 put on a Seleção shirt with the number 21 — Jota’s former number — before pointing to the sky in tribute. All Portuguese players and staff then gathered on the pitch around this shirt, in an image charged with emotion.

“We knew it before the match, it was so special. We talked about it today, within the group, about this — life’s coincidences, it’s incredible,” Ronaldo said in the mixed zone.

On the sporting front, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner acknowledged a tough encounter against the Croatians: “I expected a difficult match. To win a competition of this scale, you have to know how to suffer. That’s what happened today. We dominated the first half by a large margin. The second was a bit chaotic, but that’s normal. They scored and we panicked. But there was this emotional turning point with the penalty. From there on, the match was easier.”

Portugal will face Spain in the quarter-finals on Monday at 21:00.

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