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He walked off the pitch in Arlington with his head held high. Defeated, yes. Broken, no. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41 years old, a professional footballer for 23 years, had just played his final World Cup match.
Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain. Mikel Merino scored the only goal in the 91st minute. Ronaldo had two shots, none on target. It was a quiet end for a man who had never been quiet about anything.
But the scoreline doesn’t tell the story. The numbers do.
In 26 World Cup appearances, he scored 11 goals. He is the first player in history to score in six different World Cups — 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026.
