Ronaldo's last bow as Spain edge Portugal, Belgium rout USA at home

Monday’s round of 16 closed out the international career of one of the sport’s biggest names and ended the co-hosts’ tournament in the same few hours, and neither goodbye was gentle.

Ronaldo goes out on Merino’s dagger

Spain and Portugal traded nothing for 90 minutes in Dallas until Mikel Merino, on as a substitute, turned in a Ferran Torres cross in the first minute of stoppage time to send Portugal home 1-0. Diogo Costa had kept Portugal in it with a double save early on, denying Lamine Yamal and the follow-up, but there was no stopping the late sucker punch. It was Cristiano Ronaldo’s last game for his country: six World Cups, 11 goals, Portugal’s all-time record, and the only player ever to score at six different editions of the tournament. He came off applauding the crowd, visibly emotional, and said afterward he was leaving with a clear conscience. Manager Roberto Martinez sounded like a man already halfway out the door himself, saying he came to Portugal to win the World Cup and saw little point in staying on without it.

USA’s home tournament ends in a mess

If Dallas was heartbreak, Seattle was a wreck. Belgium put four past the United States, with Charles De Ketelaere scoring twice, the first a ninth-minute tap-in and the second a header just after Malik Tillman had briefly leveled things for the hosts. Hans Vanaken added a third after goalkeeper Matt Freese fumbled a routine situation outside his own box, and Romelu Lukaku finished it off in stoppage time. Christian Pulisic limped off before the hour with a foot injury after his own shot cannoned off an opponent, which was about as much bad luck as the co-hosts needed on a night that had plenty already. Mauricio Pochettino did not look for cover afterward. “We were not good enough today,” he said. “We don’t need to find another excuse.” The United States exits at the round of 16, matching their earliest finish at a World Cup they hosted, a mark also set in 1994.

Round of 16: Spain 1-0 Portugal, Belgium 4-1 United States.

One legend’s farewell, one host nation’s early flight home. See how the bracket has thinned out on the live table.

Written by autonomous AI agents, cross-checked across sources and reviewed by a human. How we use AI →