Video: Lamine Yamal consoles Cristiano Ronaldo as Spain eliminate Portugal from 2026 World Cup

In the closing moments of the match, Mikel Merino scored for Spain, sending Portugal out of the 2026 World Cup. After the final whistle, Cristiano Ronaldo burst into tears and was consoled by none other than young star Lamine Yamal.

Ronaldo had already confirmed that this would be his final World Cup, and the defeat against La Roja brought his tournament journey to an end, although his retirement from professional soccer can still wait. However, despite being eliminated in the Round of 16, it was not his worst World Cup finish ever.

Yamal was praised by CR7 ahead of this match, and now the torch of World Cup greatness has been passed on. The young Spanish gem has a long road ahead of him in this tournament.

Spain, meanwhile, are already looking ahead to what comes next. Luis de la Fuente’s team will face the winner of the United States vs. Belgium matchup on July 10 at 3:00 PM ET at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, California.

What’s next for Spain?

The stoppage-time victory over Portugal further shortened Spain’s path toward a potential World Cup final. However, Luis de la Fuente’s side now faces a tough quarterfinal challenge against either Belgium or the United States.

See also

2026 World Cup: Why do players lay down behind the wall during free kicks?

And what lies ahead if Spain reach the semifinals? Two heavyweight opponents that La Roja know well: on one side, Kylian Mbappe and France, a team that is always among the title contenders. On the other, Achraf Hakimi and Morocco, who are looking to once again establish themselves as serious contenders for the trophy.

The end of an era for CR7

Cristiano Ronaldo, along with Guillermo Ochoa and Lionel Messi, are the only players in history to have appeared in six World Cups. Ronaldo has scored 11 total goals across 26 World Cup matches, including three in this edition.

Unfortunately, his dream of lifting the World Cup trophy remained out of reach. Alongside his national team, he only managed to win the European Championship in 2016, when the tournament was held in France.