: Ronaldo's dream of winning the World Cup shattered in tears

 

: Ronaldo's dream of winning the World Cup shattered in tears

 

Portugal's great footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup journey ended with a 0-1 defeat against

Spain in the last 16.

Spain's Mikel Merino's decisive goal in extra time eliminated Portugal from the tournament, after which the 41-year-old Ronaldo could not control his emotions and appeared in tears on the field.

Ronaldo had earlier announced that the 2026 World Cup would be the last international tournament of his career.s=20

However, after the match, he said that he would first consult his family and then decide on his future in the national team.s=20

Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, has scored 976 goals in his career and is also the only player to score in six different World Cups.

Despite this, he could not fulfill his dream of winning the World Cup. His best performance was leading Portugal to the semi-finals in 2006.

Ronaldo's continued involvement during the tournament was also questioned.

Critics said that his presence influenced coach Roberto Martinez's selection, even though the team had talented players like Goncalo Ramos, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Nuno Mendes.

Ronaldo scored three goals in this World Cup, but his overall performance was also criticized.

On the other hand, coach Roberto Martinez announced his resignation after the match, calling Ronaldo a great icon of football and saying that he worked hard to win the World Cup and set a great example for young players.