One of the great football legends will come to the end of his career without having won the most important trophy, after Cristiano Ronaldo's last game in a World Cup with Portugal ended with a 1-0 defeat against Spain in the round of 16.

The player burst into tears when his World Cup story ended in Dallas, after Mikel Merino's winning goal in added time that qualified his neighbors.

At 41 years old, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, five-time Champions League champion and Euro 2016 champion has scored 976 goals – a world record – for his clubs and national team.

He has managed to score in six World Cups, a historical record. However, the closest they came to winning the World Cup was when Portugal reached the semi-finals in 2006.

He had already announced that this would be his last World Cup, but after the game he declared: “I will meet with my family and make decisions calmly,” when asked if he would continue playing for his team.

The debate will remain open as to whether Portugal would have had a better chance of winning this World Cup without the pressure of starting Ronaldo – an Al-Nassr player – in every game.

However, for BBC commentator Chris Sutton, who was at the game in Dallas, there was no doubt.

“He moves around the field clumsily, like a grandfather; that's why Portugal is out,” said the former England striker.

“Cristiano Ronaldo does nothing; he did nothing.”

"What is Roberto Martínez doing? How can you please a player so much?"

“Portugal is out because of Roberto Martínez.”

Coach Martínez announced that he was leaving office after the final whistle and praised Ronaldo, whom he described as a “football icon.”

“We must thank him for what he tried to do in this World Cup,” Martínez said.

“His dream was to win this World Cup, and he faced it by setting an extraordinary example.

“It is a magnificent example of what football represents and the human quality behind the athlete.”

Should Ronaldo have played?

A major recurring theme in recent major tournaments has been whether Ronaldo should start.

He has scored 146 goals for his country, a record in men's international football, but skeptics have recently suggested he does not contribute much more.

And, given a fame and status that transcends sport, it seems that Martínez did not dare to leave him out of the starting 11.

However, a team packed with some of the best defenders and midfielders in the world perhaps hoped to achieve more than just reach the round of 16.

Four members of the squad helped Paris Saint-Germain win the last two Champions League titles: left back Nuno Mendes, midfielders Vitinha and João Neves, and forward Gonçalo Ramos (who signed for AC Milan this summer).

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes was named Premier League player of the year.

“How is it possible that Gonçalo Ramos didn't take the field?” Sutton asked himself.

“It's an absolute shame on the coach's part; he simply bowed to his star's wishes.

“He is the most successful player Portugal has ever had, but you have to have more character than that.”

Ronaldo finished the tournament with three goals: a double against Uzbekistan and a penalty goal against Croatia.

But, despite the fact that there were 10 players who scored more goals, only four players made more shots than Ronaldo's 18.

Ronaldo accumulated the same number of attempts as the Norwegian Erling Haaland, who currently shares the position of top scorer with 7 goals.

Instead, he only created one scoring chance for a teammate throughout his five games.

Some 366 players touched the ball more times than Ronaldo during the World Cup, despite the fact that he played all but nine of Portugal's five games.

Martínez declared: "When you need a goal, you can't take Cristiano off the field, at least not for the 90 minutes; he is physically capable. His presence, his play in open spaces, the set pieces... we need his experience."

Another one for Messi in the “best of all time” debate?

The popularity of Cristiano Ronaldo – former player for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus – and his eternal rival, Lionel Messi, has almost completely transformed the way football fans experience life.

Many consider themselves followers of Ronaldo or Messi – Barcelona legend and former PSG striker – more than fans of a particular club.

Neither group of fans will ever give up their position in the debate about which of them is the best footballer of all time, if any.

However, until 2022, the only reproach that was leveled against both of them was that they had never won the World Cup, a trophy that iconic figures such as Pelé and Diego Maradona did lift.

Messi won it in 2022 with Argentina in Qatar, thus overcoming that obstacle. For his part, Ronaldo will retire without ever having achieved it.

Although both players are in the final stretch of their careers – Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia and Messi in the US with Inter Miami – there is no doubt that Messi continues to have a greater impact at this stage.

He is the joint top scorer in the World Cup with 7 goals, equaling the figure he reached in 2022. Ronaldo has four goals in all of those tournaments.

Wayne Rooney, Ronaldo's former United team-mate, said: "He is a genius, a superstar. What he has brought to football and to millions of people is exceptional.

"He will be disappointed, because he believed he could win this tournament. But the passage of time affects us all. It is a sad day for football."

“You have to laugh because we saw it”: Ronaldo's longevity

Ronaldo still holds one or two World Cup records thanks to his longevity.

He is the only player to have scored in six World Cups and one of only two to have participated in six editions, along with Messi.

His 11 goals place him ninth on the all-time list of scorers, led by Messi with 20.

However, only one of those goals came in the knockout stages: a converted penalty against Croatia in the round of 32 of this edition.

In fact, Ronaldo was relegated to the bench during the knockout stages of the last World Cup – the first time since 2008 that he did not start a match in a major tournament – ​​after a disagreement with the then coach, Fernando Santos.

Former Blackburn striker Sutton added: “Gonçalo Ramos played in the last 16 of the last World Cup and scored a hat-trick when the manager had the courage to leave Ronaldo out.

“Four years have passed, Ronaldo is four years older and look what has happened.”

Portuguese fans who spoke to the BBC after the match were saddened that this is the end of Ronaldo's World Cup story.

One of them commented: "One of my dreams was to see Ronaldo live. I was happy to see it. It meant a lot.

"I'm very excited. We just weren't lucky this time. What Ronaldo has done has been beautiful. We don't have to cry, we have to smile because we saw him play."

“It would make no sense to continue”: Martínez leaves Portugal

Former Swansea, Wigan and Everton coach Roberto Martínez managed Belgium between 2016 and 2022 and Portugal from 2023.

The Spanish coach led Belgium to the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, where they lost to France, but subsequently fell in the group stage in 2022.

Although he won the Nations League with Portugal last year, he leaves office after this World Cup elimination.

“I arrived in Portugal with the goal of winning the World Cup and, having not achieved it, it would make no sense to continue,” he declared.

“My contract ends today.”

Sutton added: “His job was to try to win the World Cup and field the best possible team for Portugal.”

"Has he achieved it? Not at all."

“The way he has managed this team is scandalous.

“He ruined Belgium's project when they had the opportunity to achieve great things with that golden generation; they ended up becoming the laughingstock of football.

“And now with Portugal… it was unfortunate to see a coach act that way.”