CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s pursuit of the FIFA World Cup title finally came to an end on Monday. Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup round of 16 brought the curtain down on the 41-year-old’s sixth and final World Cup, ending a journey that began in Germany in 2006.
Hours earlier, Ronaldo had led Portugal out for the pre-match warmup, wearing the captain’s armband and his iconic No 7 shirt. As his image appeared on the giant screen, cheers mixed with boos echoed around the packed Dallas Stadium. Ronaldo described the game as “a very balanced match”. “It could have gone either way. Spain had that little bit of luck to score in the final moments, but that’s football.
Overall, it was a well-contested game.” His best chance came in the first half when he stretched to meet Joao Felix’s header across goal, only to see his effort saved by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, who extended his World Cup shutout streak. When Spain scored in stoppage time, Ronaldo immediately collected the ball from the net and carried it back to the centre circle, urging his teammates to make one final push.
After the final whistle, he stood quietly near midfield before turning towards the Portugal supporters, who chanted his name. Moments later, he lowered his head and wiped away tears. In the mixed zone, Ronaldo confirmed that his sixth World Cup had indeed been his last.
Xinhua
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