Cristiano Ronaldo pledged his support for Portugal after their FIFA World Cup exit, posting “Portugal Sempre” (“Portugal Forever”) on social media while leaving his international future unresolved.
Portugal were eliminated in the round of 16 after a 2-1 defeat by Spain, with Mikel Merino scoring a late winner to end the 41-year-old forward’s sixth World Cup campaign.
Ronaldo had announced before the match that the tournament would be his last World Cup. After the defeat, the Portugal captain said he would not make any immediate decision about his future with the national team.
On Instagram, Ronaldo shared a picture of the Portugal squad in a pre-match huddle with the caption “Portugal Sempre”, a post that quickly attracted widespread attention from fans.
Portugal’s latest exit brought the curtain down on Ronaldo’s World Cup career, which spanned six tournaments from 2006 to 2026.
He finished with 27 World Cup appearances, the second-most by any player, and 11 goals, including three in the 2026 tournament.
During this year’s competition, Ronaldo became the first player aged 41 or older to feature in a World Cup knockout match when Portugal beat Croatia in the round of 32.
He also became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match and netted his first career goal in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Earlier in the competition, Ronaldo scored twice in Portugal’s 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan to become his country’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 10 goals, surpassing Eusebio’s previous record of nine.
The brace also made him the first player to score in six different FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Despite those milestones, Portugal’s campaign ended in disappointment after defeat by Spain, with Ronaldo leaving the pitch in tears following the final whistle.
