For 2 decades and six FIFA World Cups, Cristiano Ronaldo chased the 1 shade helium could ne'er catch.
On Monday afternoon, Spain yet broke Ronaldo's pursuit. Spain eliminated Portugal successful the circular of 16 and ensured that Ronaldo volition permission the planetary transportation with a imperishable vacancy successful his trophy cabinet.
Ronaldo is wide regarded arsenic 1 of the top players successful shot history, but the 1 prize missing from his resume is simply a World Cup title. After Lionel Messi won it successful 2022, the unit lone intensified.
But the 41-year-old prima failed to adjacent get backmost to the semifinals aft reaching that signifier successful his archetypal World Cup quality successful 2006. Portugal was eliminated successful the circular of 16 successful 2010 earlier getting knocked retired successful radical play successful 2014. Portugal has made it to the knockout signifier successful each of the past 3 World Cups. However, Ronaldo lone made it past the circular of 16 erstwhile successful that stretch, reaching the quarterfinals successful 2018.
Ronaldo was capable to get 1 monkey disconnected his backmost successful this tournament, though. He scored successful Portugal's triumph implicit Croatia successful the circular of 32, which marked his archetypal extremity successful the knockout signifier of the World Cup. He scored 3 goals astatine this year's World Cup, and 11 goals implicit 27 vocation World Cup matches.
Portugal vs Spain Extended Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup™ | Round of 16
Even without that last portion of silverware, Ronaldo’s interaction connected World Cup past is bulletproof. He bowed retired arsenic the archetypal men's subordinate to people successful six antithetic World Cups, and astatine 41, became the oldest goalscorer the tourney has ever seen.
The trophy mightiness beryllium missing from his cabinet, but precise fewer extracurricular of Messi, Pelé and present Ronaldo person ever near a bigger footprint connected football's grandest stage.
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