2026 FIFA World Cup: Before me it was zero — Ronaldo makes defiant comment after tournament exit

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has remained defiant following his nation's elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reminding his critics that he delivered the only international trophies in the country's history.

The 41-year-old forward played his final World Cup match on Monday as Portugal suffered a 1-0 round-of-16 defeat to Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Texas.

The Iberian derby remained deadlocked until the 91st minute, when Spain midfielder Mikel Merino slotted a low shot past goalkeeper Diogo Costa following a pass from Ferran Torres to secure the victory.

The elimination confirms that Ronaldo will retire without winning the FIFA World Cup, but the veteran forward addressed the media, offering a staunch defence of his legacy.

He insisted the defeat would not break his spirit, leaning on his past achievements to contextualise the exit.

"I will wake up tomorrow with same mood as I did today. I did my best," Ronaldo told reporters. "I won three titles with Portugal; before me it was zero titles. I can only be happy."

Eusébio's 1966 bronze medal, Luís Figo's 2004 European Championship heartbreak, and Pauleta's goalscoring records, near misses and individual excellence without trophies defined Portugal's history until Ronaldo delivered tangible silverware.

Ronaldo, who has represented the senior national team from 2003 to date, fundamentally altered their standing in international football.

He guided them to their first piece of silverware at the 2016 UEFA European Championship, where they defeated France 1-0 in the final.

He subsequently led them to two more titles, winning the inaugural 2018/19 UEFA Nations League with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands, and more recently, the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League, where they defeated Spain on penalties following a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Arena in June 2025.

The Dallas defeat brought an end to Ronaldo's record-breaking World Cup tenure, during which he became the first male player to score in six different editions of the tournament, amassing 11 goals in 27 total appearances.

Portugal manager Roberto Martínez exhausted his substitutions in an attempt to break the deadlock against Spain, leaving forwards Gonçalo Ramos, Francisco Trincão, and Gonçalo Guedes on the bench while bringing on Rafael Leão, Francisco Conceição, and Diogo Dalot.

They could not breach a Spanish defence that has yet to concede a single goal in the tournament, having recorded shutouts in all four of their fixtures, and Ronaldo was particularly helpful in keeping that record, as he was utterly toothless.