Ronaldo’s World Cup ends as Portugal lose 1-0 to Spain in Dallas, Martinez announces departure

Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup match ended in a 1-0 last-16 defeat by Spain in Dallas, manager Roberto Martinez said after the game on the same day that he would leave his role, with Mikel Merino’s injury-time goal eliminating Portugal.

Ronaldo was in tears at full-time as Spain advanced thanks to Merino’s late strike. Martinez, who confirmed his contract ends that day and that it would not make sense to continue without winning the World Cup, paid tribute to Ronaldo and described him as a football icon.

The 41-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner departs World Cup play having scored a world-record 976 club and international goals and having found the net at a record six World Cups. His closest World Cup run with Portugal remains the 2006 semi-final appearance.

Debate over whether Portugal should have started Ronaldo intensified after the match. BBC pundit Chris Sutton criticized Martinez for selecting the veteran, arguing the manager pandered to the star and questioning Portugal’s tactical approach.

Statistically Ronaldo touched the ball 19 times in 90 minutes against Spain, registering three shots and creating one chance. Across the tournament he scored three goals — two against Uzbekistan and a penalty versus Croatia — and finished with 18 shots in total, a figure surpassed by only a few players at the event.

Several Portugal squad members have recent high-level club success, including Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Joao Neves and Goncalo Ramos, while Bruno Fernandes was named Premier League player of the year. Sutton and other critics asked why Goncalo Ramos did not appear in the match, citing his previous impact when Martinez had once benched Ronaldo.

Martinez defended his choice, saying Ronaldo’s presence is valuable when a goal is needed because of his physical capacity, set-piece threat and experience. He added that when a goal is required it is difficult to remove Cristiano within 90 minutes.

The result leaves Ronaldo retiring from World Cup competition without the trophy, while Lionel Messi, also playing his sixth tournament, won the World Cup in 2022. Ronaldo remains the only player to score at six World Cups and one of two to appear in six, and his 11 World Cup goals place him ninth on the all-time list.

After the match Portugal supporters expressed emotion and gratitude for Ronaldo’s career, saying they felt fortunate to have watched him play live despite the disappointment of the exit. Martinez reiterated his initial objective of winning the World Cup and concluded that, having failed to do so, continuation in his post would not be sensible.