The Portuguese national team ended its participation in the 2026 World Cup after losing to Spain 1-0 in the round of 16. The fatal winning goal for "La Roja" came in the 90th + 1 minute, through substitute player Mikel Merino, after an assist from Ferran Torres, in the strong match that was held at AT&T Stadium in Texas, USA. With this result, Spain qualified for the quarter-finals, while the career of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo (41 years old) ended in the last World Cup of his busy career.