"Shuffled Like a Grandpa": Harsh Criticism as Ronaldo Bids Farewell to the World Cup with Regret

Silent Despite Ronaldo’s Full Match
BBC Pundit Criticizes Performance After the Game
Portugal’s Golden Generation Halted in Round of 16

Cristiano Ronaldo (41, Portugal) ultimately finished his final World Cup campaign without ever lifting the winner’s trophy. On July 7 (Korean time), Portugal lost 0-1 to Spain in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA. The tightly contested match was decided in stoppage time of the second half. Spain’s Mikel Merino received a penetrating pass from Ferran Torres and scored with his left foot, crushing Portugal’s last hopes.

Cristiano Ronaldo has participated in the World Cup finals six consecutive times, starting from the 2006 Germany World Cup to the 2026 North America World Cup. In this tournament, he also set a historic record by scoring in six consecutive World Cup tournaments for the first time ever. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News.

With this victory, Spain advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 16 years since their 2010 triumph in South Africa. In contrast, Portugal, who had reached the quarterfinals in the 2022 Qatar World Cup and aimed for an even higher finish, saw their journey end in the Round of 16 this time. Even before the match, all eyes were on Ronaldo. Born in 1985, he had already declared this tournament would, in effect, be his final World Cup. Before facing Spain, he said, “I am trying to enjoy the fact that this is my last World Cup as much as possible. I hope tomorrow won’t be my last match,” but his wishes did not come true.

Ronaldo started as a striker and played the full match, but could not lead his team to victory. After the defeat to Spain, he faced harsh criticism for his performance. Football statistics outlet FotMob gave Ronaldo a rating of 6.4, below the Portuguese team average. Chris Sutton, a former England international and BBC commentator, remarked after the match, “As a striker, you need to keep moving and pressing, but Ronaldo didn’t do that. He wandered around the pitch like a grandfather,” strongly criticizing his showing.

Ronaldo has appeared in six consecutive World Cup final tournaments, from the 2006 Germany World Cup to the 2026 North America World Cup. In this tournament, he also set a historic record by scoring in six consecutive World Cups for the first time ever. Including the penalty goal he scored against Croatia in the Round of 32, his World Cup career totals stand at 27 matches and 11 goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo participated in six consecutive World Cup final stages, starting from the 2006 Germany World Cup to the 2026 North America World Cup. In this tournament, he also set a major record by becoming the first player in World Cup history to score in six consecutive tournaments. Photo by AP Yonhap News.

However, he ultimately never experienced World Cup glory. Starting with a fourth-place finish in 2006, he went out in the Round of 16 in 2010, was eliminated in the group stage in 2014, exited again in the Round of 16 in 2018, reached the quarterfinals in 2022, and ended in the Round of 16 in 2026—falling short of the summit every time. The memory of his hat trick against Spain in the group stage of the 2018 Russia World Cup stands in stark contrast to the fact that it was Spain who ended his final World Cup campaign eight years later.

Ronaldo’s legacy in the history of the Portuguese national team is overwhelming. He holds the all-time men’s international record for both appearances and goals, with 233 caps and 146 goals. His career with the national team also includes a UEFA Euro 2016 title and UEFA Nations League victories in 2019 and 2025. However, the World Cup remained unconquered. Unlike Lionel Messi, who finally fulfilled his dream by winning the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Ronaldo’s six World Cup journeys came to a close in disappointment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.