Ronaldo’s World Cup dream ends, but his legacy lives on

Doha: Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said he wouldn’t make any decisions about his international future in the heat of the moment, but Portugal’s exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026 seems to have made things clear about his career.

A stoppage-time strike from substitute Mikel Merino sent Spain past Portugal 1-0 in the round of 16 at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on Monday, and Ronaldo’s last shot at football’s biggest trophy went up in smoke. milkshakeslot.online

“It was my last World Cup, yes, but I’ll now have time to reflect and be with my family. I won’t be making any rash decisions,” the 41-year-old Ronaldo said reports after the match.

“I don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment,” he said.

“I’m sad to be leaving the World Cup like this. I gave it my all, I did my best, and I’m leaving with a clear conscience,” Ronaldo said.

Ronaldo made history in Portugal’s second match - against Uzbekistan - at the 2026 World Cup when he became the first player to score at six editions of the global football extravaganza, before making it a brace 33 minutes later. Ronaldo scored another goal off a spot kick against Croatia in Portugal’s Round of 32 clash, which eventually became his last goal at World Cup tournaments.

It was his 27th match in the FIFA World Cup tournaments since his first finals appearance at Germany 2006.

“It’s frustrating to go out like this, but we can hold our heads high,” added the Al Nassr forward.

“That’s football, that’s the life of a footballer. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And it has to move on.”

Ronaldo scored his maiden tournament goal against Iran, and helped Portugal reach their first semi-final in 40 years. He went on to play, and score at least one goal, at South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 where he scored a stunning hat-trick against Spain, and Qatar 2002.

Ronaldo has spent two decades being Portugal’s most celebrated footballer, and surely he has been the biggest influence in his country’s run at the global stage.

Prior to his arrival, Portugal have only made it to the FIFA spectacle three times in 76 years since it’s inception, in 1966, 1986 and 2002.

The European powerhouse has made it to every FIFA World Cup tournament since Ronaldo’s arrival, but the fourth place finish in 2006 remains his best run.

His 11 World Cup goals remain a Portugal record, and he sits joint ninth along with Hungary’s Sandor Kocsis and Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann, but that is nowhere close to the table topper Lionel Messi (21) of Argentina.

Ronaldo, Messi and Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa are the only players to have played across six World Cups, and the Portugal captain also holds the distinction of being the only player to score in all of them.

He also possesses record for most caps (233) and also holds the all-time men’s international scoring record with 146 goals.

Under Ronaldo, Portugal lifted the 2016 European Championship for the first time, and the Al Nassr skipper relished the accomplishment.

“Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won any titles,” Ronaldo said.

“So, I’m happy. The truth is that the biggest title I won with the national team was in 2016, which for me has the same significance as the World Cup, honestly.

“Therefore, I repeat, I leave with a clear conscience, having done my best, and that’s it. Tomorrow will be a new day, and life goes on.”

“We have to pick ourselves up and carry on,” Ronaldo said after the tournament exit on Monday.

However, only time will tell how long he is willing to do so.

Atlanta: The Egyptian football federation said Wednesday it had asked for the officiating team who handled the Pharoahs loss 3-2 last-16 to Argentina to be thrown out of the World Cup.

"Hany Aburida, President of the Egyptian Football Federation, filed a complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into the French referee Francois Letexier... after the serious refereeing mistakes committed by the team of referees and double standards, which caused the Egypt team to lose the match and leave the World Cup," said a statement from the federation.

On Tuesday evening, Letexes ruled out a Mostafa Ziko goal ruled out when they were leading 1-0 after VAR intervened to spot a foul on Lisandro Martinez much earlier in the move.

A few minutes later, Ziko did put Egyptian 2-0 up and on the brink of a place in the last eight for the first time but there was further controversy in added time, after Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi had brought the champions level.

In the build-up to Argentina's winner scored by Enzo Fernandez, Egypt believe they should have instead been awarded a penalty for a pull by Alexis Mac Allister on Hamdy Fathy.

"Aburida demanded the investigation of the entire team of referees, including the video technology referees, because of the blatant errors and insisting on not reviewing some of the footage that we believe are in favour of the Egyptian national team, and we see in it the Pharaohs' right to a correct goal and a penalty," said the Egyptian statement.

It added that the president had also "demanded the exclusion of the referee and the entire crew from the World Cup after investigating these mistakes and proving the crime of discrimination against the Egyptian national team".

The statement echoed remarks by Egypt coach Hossam Hassan immediately after the game.

"I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today, we have suffered injustice," Hassan told journalists.

"We haven't seen respect or fair play. There has not been respect or fair play."

Hassan told BeIN: "Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.

"In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions received support at every level."

Atlanta: Lionel Messi once retired from international football after blasting a penalty into the American sky to lose a Copa America final 10 years ago.

A decade on, Messi's problems from the spot persist on US soil, but his magic is more than masking that flaw as he continues to lead the Argentina quest for World Cup glory at the age of 39.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's latest penalty miss left the world champions staring at a shock exit to Egypt in the last 16 on Tuesday.

Either side of seeing his spot-kick saved by Mostafa Shobeir, goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko put Egypt into a 2-0 lead with just 11 minutes remaining.

It was already the second time Messi had failed to net a penalty at this tournament -- he fired wide against Austria in the group stages -- becoming the only player to miss more than one in any World Cup.

Adding to misses against Iceland in 2018 and Poland four years ago, Messi's failure to score four World Cup penalties is another record, but an unwanted one.

His overall career conversion rate of 116 goals from 150 attempts (77 percent) from the spot is bang on the global average.

What stands out is such a frailty for a player who is anything but average.

When he missed in a shootout against Chile in the final of the Copa America Centenario in 2016, a devastated Messi broke down in tears and promptly announced a shock retirement from international football.

At the time he had yet to win a major tournament with Argentina and, despite his brilliance for Barcelona, back home he had been unable to follow in the footsteps of Diego Maradona by winning the World Cup.

Within a few months he reversed that retirement. A decade on those doubts are long forgotten with Messi the figurehead for two Copa America triumphs and Argentina's long-awaited third World Cup four years ago in Qatar.

'Look at his attitude'

In Atlanta, there were more tears, happy ones this time, with Messi overcome with emotion at a remarkable turnaround.

His cross for Cristian Romero to head in, started a remarkable fightback as the champions dragged themselves off the canvas to remain in contention.

Messi drilled in the equaliser himself, scoring for an eighth consecutive World Cup game and taking his tally to eight goals in five games at this tournament.

Enzo Fernandez added the final blow as Lionel Scaloni's men remain in the running to defend the title.

"To the guys on the bench, the ones watching him in disbelief; I want them to take him as an example. It is truly something wonderful," said Scaloni.

"Look at his attitude! After the penalty he could have given up -'we're done, it's 2-0'-but instead, he asked for the ball again and went for more.

"It gives me goosebumps, honestly, and it's not just him, I don't want to focus solely on him because his teammates supported him incredibly well. That is part of what defines this group."

Argentina's flaws have been exposed in the knockout stages by far from stellar opposition in Cape Verde and Egypt.

Scaloni's side have been cut open on the counter-attack and an ageing squad already looks short on energy.

Tougher tests await with Switzerland in the last eight, followed by a potential semi-final showdown against England.

But Messi's refusal to allow Argentina to exit the World Cup stage means there remains hope of adding a fourth star to the famous blue and white shirt.

Vancouver: Switzerland beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw on Tuesday to set up a quarter-final with defending champions Argentina.

The two teams cancelled each other out in the final game of the last 16 -- the last match to be played at the 2026 tournament outside the United States.

Both teams missed spot-kicks before Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel brilliantly saved Cucho Hernandez's effort and Ruben Vargas scored the decisive penalty.

Colombia, once again backed by thousands of passionate fans in Vancouver, had conceded just once in their four games before Tuesday's match and the Swiss had also proved difficult to break down.

The first action of note came in the 21st minute when Kobel was forced into a flying save to keep out Gustavo Puerta's curling effort from the edge of the penalty area.

The Swiss stepped up a gear immediately after the first hydration break, with Camilo Vargas beating away a shot from Fabian Rieder before denying Dan Ndoye.

But the match was goalless at half-time, with two well-matched teams struggling for inspiration.

Switzerland started the second half on the front foot but Colombia also had their moments, with Luis Suarez lashing wastefully wide.

Both coaches made multiple changes in the second half but again struggled to create meaningful openings, with Colombia's star winger Luis Diaz kept quiet.

Ndoye flashed a shot across goal in stoppage time but nobody was able to get on the end of it and the match was 0-0 at the end of normal time.

The game belatedly burst into life in the first period of extra time.

Colombia defender Jhon Lucumi headed against the bar from a corner in the ninth minute and Kobel kept out a fierce effort from Jaminton Campaz as the South Americans upped the tempo.

At the other end, Vargas dived to his left to beat away an effort from substitute Zeki Amdouni.

Campaz missed a glorious chance to win the game with five minutes of time left on the clock.

With nothing to separate the teams, the game went to penalties.

Switzerland will face Argentina in Kansas City on Saturday after Lionel Messi's team earlier beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta.

Switzerland last reached the quarter-finals when they hosted the World Cup in 1954.

Doha, Qatar: There have been 280 goals at World Cup 2026 so far, but one league has been responsible for almost one in every four of them. It is neither Spain’s La Liga nor Germany’s Bundesliga, but England’s Premier League that has become football’s biggest supplier of goals on the biggest stage.

After the penultimate Round of 16 match between Egypt and Argentina, players from the England’s top flight have scored 69 of the 280 goals recorded so far, comfortably outpacing every other major European league and underlining why the Premier League continues to be regarded as the world’s most competitive domestic competition.

Spain’s La Liga sits a distant second with 33 goals, followed by Germany’s Bundesliga on 28, France’s Ligue 1 with 20 and Italy’s Serie A with 19. The figures are a reminder that while football’s biggest stars are scattered across Europe, it is England’s top flight that has delivered the greatest impact in front of goal.

The Premier League’s influence has extended beyond goals. Five players from English clubs also feature among the tournament’s top 10 assist providers.

Perhaps the most surprising statistic belongs to Manchester City. The domestic double champions arrived at the tournament as the most represented club, supplying 19 players from 12 different nations more than any other club in the world. Yet despite that remarkable presence, only one City player has found the net.

That player is striker Erling Haaland (pictured). The Norwegian has been one of the stars of the tournament, sharing the second place in the Golden Boot race with Kylian Mbappe on seven goals. His clinical finishing has powered Norway into the quarter-finals, including a memorable victory over Brazil that ranks among the biggest upsets of the knockout stage.

While City have relied on one prolific marksman, several other Premier League clubs have seen their international stars spread the goals around.

Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Manchester United and Sunderland have each produced eight World Cup goals – the highest club totals among Premier League sides.

Crystal Palace’s tally has been spearheaded by Senegal winger Ismaila Sarr, whose four-goal haul has made him one of Africa’s standout performers. Arsenal’s contribution has come through a collection of internationals, including Germany’s Kai Havertz, who has scored three times, while Manchester United have been boosted by Brazil forward Matheus Cunha’s three-goal campaign.

The biggest surprise has come from Sunderland.

Fresh from a remarkable campaign that ended with a seventh-place Premier League finish and the club’s first-ever qualification for the UEFA Europa League, the Black Cats have seen their players carry that confidence onto the international stage. Dutch striker Brian Brobbey has led the way with three goals as Sunderland’s representatives have collectively matched the tournament’s highest club tally.

Liverpool are close behind with six goals, driven largely by Cody Gakpo’s three-goal contribution for the Netherlands, while Newcastle United’s internationals have combined for five goals, with DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa contributing three goals.

The goals have come from throughout the Premier League. Brighton & Hove Albion’s internationals have found the net three times and Tottenham Hotspur twice, while Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Chelsea and Everton have each added a goal to the league’s impressive World Cup tally.

Even the two clubs relegated at the end of last season have left their mark. Wolverhampton Wanderers’ players have scored four goals, while West Ham United’s internationals have added another two.

The numbers become even more impressive when viewed against overall player representation.

Manchester City topped the list with 19 players at the World Cup, narrowly ahead of Bayern Munich who had 18. Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal each contributed 16 players, followed by Barcelona with 15. Atletico de Madrid, Crystal Palace and Manchester United each had 12 representatives, while Liverpool supplied 11 and AC Milan and Real Madrid 10 apiece.

Yet when it comes to goals, it has not simply been Europe’s traditional giants leading the way. Clubs such as Crystal Palace and Sunderland have matched or even outperformed some of football’s biggest clubs.

The Premier League has not dominated because one club supplied the stars or because one nation carried the scoring burden. Instead, players from almost every level of the English top flight have travelled to North America and delivered for their countries.