Ronaldo cries as his final World Cup run ends in defeat
The 41-year-old football legend walks off in tears after Portugal's 1-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo played his final World Cup match on Monday. The football legend’s dream of winning the biggest trophy ended after a 1-0 loss to Spain, leaving him in tears.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain is one of the greatest players in football history. He shared that he will now take some time to think about his next steps.
Ronaldo has won almost every major trophy during his amazing career with top European clubs and won the European Championship with Portugal. However, a World Cup winner's medal will be missing from his collection after a tough round-of-16 match in Texas.
"That's football, that's the life of a footballer," he said, trying to stay positive despite the big disappointment.
"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and you have to move on."
Watch the emotional video of him fighting back tears below:
Ronaldo, who is the highest scorer in men's international football history, said he is leaving the World Cup stage with no regrets.
"The truth is, the biggest title I won with the national team was in 2016 (Euros), which for me is just as significant as a World Cup, honestly," he explained.
His best World Cup run remains the semi-finals from 20 years ago. In this tournament, the veteran striker showed his age and struggled to create major chances against Spain.
During his final World Cup run in North America, he scored three goals. This included two goals in a 5-0 win against Uzbekistan and a penalty against Croatia in the round of 32.
After the final whistle against Spain, Ronaldo walked off the pitch at the home of the Dallas Cowboys by himself.
The Rise of a Global Icon
Ronaldo grew up in a humble family on the island of Madeira. Through hard work and dedication, he became one of the most famous people in the world.
He is also a massive success off the pitch. As the first billionaire footballer, he has over 671 million followers on Instagram. His famous "Siuuu!" celebration is loved by children all over the world, including many young fans in the GCC.
Though there was no fairytale ending to his World Cup story, his career remains unmatched. He became a superstar at Manchester United, won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid, and played for Juventus. Today, he plays in the Gulf region as the star of Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr.
His amazing list of achievements also includes five Ballon d'Or awards.
In recent years, Ronaldo has changed his style of play, moving from a fast winger to a central striker. Some critics argued that his international career was being stretched too long, but manager Roberto Martinez kept him on the pitch for the full match against Spain.
Before the game, Ronaldo remained confident about his legacy, saying: "I am not going to be more Cristiano Ronaldo or less because I win the World Cup."
AI contributed to the creation of this article.