'Crying' Ronaldo mocked with "Limping like a grandfather"... World Cup ends in tears, leaving only harsh criticism

*This content was translated by AI.

Harsh criticism poured onto Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Al Nassr) as he concluded his World Cup journey.

Portugal lost 0-1 to Spain in the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup Round of 16 match held at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA, on the 7th (Korea time). Having reached only the quarterfinals in the previous 2022 Qatar tournament, Portugal was eliminated in the Round of 16 this time, swallowing their regrets.

Even Ronaldo, who showed determination at a formal press conference the day before by saying, "This is my last World Cup, but I hope the match against Spain is not my final game," eventually bowed his head.

Ronaldo started the match and played the full 90 minutes but displayed lifeless movements throughout the game and failed to score. When the final whistle blew, Ronaldo finally burst into tears and left the field.

Local evaluations were harsh. BBC commentator Chris Sutton criticized, "A striker must constantly move, contribute to the team, and press the opponent's defense, but Ronaldo did none of that." He added, "He was wandering around the pitch like a grandfather, which is why Portugal was eliminated," and noted, "It was a tournament where he likely felt his excellent Portuguese teammates wasted their time completely in this World Cup."

Football statistics specialist 'FootMob' gave Ronaldo a rating of 6.4, lower than Portugal's team average of 6.7.

With the defeat, Ronaldo's great record also faded. From the 2006 Germany tournament to this North America tournament, Ronaldo built a unique milestone as the first in history to appear and score in six consecutive World Cups. However, he failed to overcome his chronic "tournament jinx." Having played 27 matches in total across all World Cups with 11 goals and 2 assists, his only goal in this tournament's knockout stage was a penalty kick against Croatia in the Round of 32.

In contrast, rival Lionel Messi continues to show a strong presence, following up on his previous tournament victory with another impressive performance in this World Cup. Ronaldo's final exit, sharply contrasting with Messi's performance, left an even more bitter aftertaste.

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*This content was translated by AI.