"I leave with my head held high": C. Ronaldo reacts to Portugal's elimination

06.07.26 FT World Cup

Portugal

0

:

Spain

1

Despite the heartbreak of elimination, Portugal’s captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, insisted that he leaves the 2026 World Cup with a clear conscience, convinced he gave everything to take his country as far as possible in the tournament.

Portugal’s World Cup journey came to an end in the round of 16 after a narrow defeat to Spain at the Dallas Stadium.

As both teams seemed destined for extra time with the score still tied at nil, Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino tipped the balance at the death, netting the winning goal in the 90th minute.

This dramatic strike handed La Roja a ticket to the quarterfinals and brought Portugal’s run to a close.

C. Ronaldo: "I gave everything for Portugal"

In comments relayed by the Portuguese daily Record, Cristiano Ronaldo shared his feelings after the elimination: "The match was very balanced and could have gone either way. Spain took their chance in the dying minutes, but that’s football. All in all, it was an intense and hard-fought contest."

The Portuguese striker then added: "I’m sad to leave the World Cup like this. But as I said in the press conference, I gave everything on the pitch and I leave with a clear conscience."

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner continued: "Today, I am at peace with myself. I did everything I could. I won three trophies with Portugal and, before Cristiano Ronaldo, the national team had never won a major title. I am proud of that."

Ronaldo also made a point of recalling the significance of Euro 2016 in his journey: "Portugal’s greatest title remains Euro 2016. For me, it’s as valuable as a World Cup. I leave this competition with a clear conscience because I gave everything I had. Tomorrow is another day and life goes on."

Visibly moved at the final whistle, the Portuguese captain also spoke about his tears after the match: "The emotions were overwhelming. I felt sadness, but also a sense of relief because I know I couldn’t have done more. You can’t fault someone who gave everything until the end."

World Cup 2026: Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo knocked out

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.

Related teams and leagues

Portugal

Spain

World Cup