One of football’s great careers will finish without the biggest prize after Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup match for Portugal ended with a 1-0 last-16 defeat by Spain.
He was in tears as his World Cup story ended in Dallas with Mikel Merino’s injury-time winner sending their neighbours through.
The 41-year-old five-time Ballon d’Or winner, five-time Champions League winner and Euro 2016 champion has scored a world-record 976 goals for his clubs and country.
He has scored at a record six World Cups. But the closest he got to winning it was when Portugal reached the semi-finals in his first tournament in 2006.
He had already announced this would be his final World Cup – but said afterwards “I will meet the family and take decisions with a calm head” when asked if he would keep playing for his country.
Whether Portugal would have had a better chance of winning this World Cup without the pressure to start Al-Nassr’s Ronaldo in each game will remain open to debate.
However, there was no question for BBC pundit Chris Sutton, who was in Texas for BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He’s waddling around the field like a grandad, that’s why Portugal are out,” the former England striker said.
“Cristiano Ronaldo does nothing; he did nothing.
“What is Roberto Martinez doing? How can you pander to a player so much?
“Portugal are out because of Roberto Martinez.”
Boss Martinez announced he was leaving the job after the final whistle and praised “football icon” Ronaldo.
“We need to thank him for what he tried to do at this World Cup,” Martinez said.
“His dream was to win this World Cup, he did this with an amazing example.
“He is a prime example of football and the human being that is behind that athlete.”
A major recurring theme at the past few major tournaments has been about whether Ronaldo should start.
He has scored 146 goals for his country, a record in men’s international football – but recently cynics have suggested he does not offer much else.
And with fame and status that transcends the game, Martinez seemingly dared not drop him.
But a team filled with some of the best defenders and midfielders in the world may have hoped to do better than make the last 16.
Four of the squad helped Paris St-Germain win the past two Champions League titles – left-back Nuno Mendes, midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves and striker Goncalo Ramos, who joined AC Milan this summer.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes was the Premier League’s player of the year.
“How did Goncalo Ramos not get on the pitch?” asked Sutton.
“It’s an absolute embarrassment from the manager, just pandering to his star player.
“He’s the most decorated player that Portugal have ever had but you’ve got to be stronger than that.”
Ronaldo finished the tournament with three goals, a double against Uzbekistan and a penalty against Croatia.
But despite 10 players scoring more goals, only four players at the 2026 World Cup had more shots than Ronaldo’s 18.
Ronaldo had the same amount of efforts as seven-goal joint top scorer Erling Haaland has currently had.
He only created one chance for a team-mate in his five games by comparison.
Some 366 players touched the ball more times than Ronaldo at the World Cup despite him playing all bar nine minutes of Portugal’s five games.
Martinez said: “When you need a goal you cannot take Cristiano off, at least in 90 minutes, he is physically capable – his presence, open space, dead-ball situations, we need his experience.”
