Spain Beats Portugal 1-0 in World Cup Round of 16

Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain in the round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday, July 6, in Arlington, Texas. Mikel Merino scored the only goal in the 90th minute. The result ended Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup career.

Ronaldo, 41, had confirmed before the match that the 2026 tournament would be his sixth and final World Cup. He told reporters on July 5 that it was his last one. Ronaldo had previously stated in November 2025 that the event would mark his final appearance.

Ronaldo finished as Portugal's all-time leading World Cup scorer with 11 goals in 27 appearances, including three at the 2026 tournament. He became the first man to score in six different World Cups and the oldest non-goalkeeper to start a World Cup game. Ronaldo also holds Portugal's all-time international scoring record with 146 goals and helped the team win the European Championship in 2016.

Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, said before the match that he could walk away satisfied. "Not 100%, but 1,000%. Because I gave everything," he said. He has stated he expects to stop playing entirely in the next year or two but added that he will retire from the national team on his own terms.

Ronaldo holds the active men's records in international appearances and goals.