Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo bowed out on international football after Portugal were dumped out of the World Cup in the Round of 1622:19, 06 Jul 2026Updated 22:36, 06 Jul 2026Cristiano Ronaldo was left in tears after his international career came to an end after Portugal's World Cup exit at the hands of Spain. Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino scored the winner in stoppage-time as the European Champions moved into the quarter-finals thanks to the 1-0 win.‌The defeat spells the end for Ronaldo and head coach Roberto Martinez, who revealed that he relinquish his position after the World Cup. The 41-year-old couldn't inspire his nation to victory over Luis de la Fuente's side as the solitary goal from Merino proved to be the difference.‌Ahead of the Round of 16 showdown with Spain, Ronaldo confirmed that this summer's tournament held across America, Canada and Mexico would be his last. Bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career which includes ending their wait for major tournament silverware after winning the European Championships in 2016.‌Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!He said: "Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won't be my last match. I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one?"We will see. I don't want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow. I'm going to be perfectly honest, regardless of what happens tomorrow, Cristiano is going ⁠to be 1,000% leaving with a clear conscience.‌"I have given ⁠all I could to football, it's my passion to play for so many years. I didn't do it out of need, I'm doing well out of life. It's about passion. I ‌play for the national team and I love to play football."Regardless of what happens tomorrow I'm not going to exert pressure on myself that I must win. You have to enjoy every match at a huge competition like the World Cup. I think I'm not ‌doing so bad. I've scored three goals, others have done better but I think I'm doing not so bad."‌Following the match, he was surrounded by television cameras as they tried to catch a glimpse of his final act as Portugal captain.They managed to capture a dejected Ronaldo as he soaked up the adulation for one final time as his Seleção career, which started in Chaves 23 years ago, ended in Texas at the World Cup.It has been a difficult time for Ronaldo at this summer's tournament after coming in for criticism following his performance during their opening group stalemate with DR Congo. The 41-year-old was criticised for his performance against the African side as he mustered just 25 touches in a frustrating start to their campaign.‌He followed up with a standout display against Uzbekistan, scoring twice in the 5-0 win while playing a key role as they got their first win on the board.He didn't manage to find the back of the net in their final group match against Colombia and hit the headlines after being substituted nine minutes from time in the Round of 32 clash against Croatia, despite scoring the opening goal in the 2-1 win.On Monday, he could only watch his nation bow out of another major competition in disappointment with Merino finishing off a flowing Spanish move in the first-minute of second-half stoppage-time.Article continues belowContent cannot be displayed without consent