Cristiano Ronaldo fought back tears after Portugal's 1-0 defeat by Spain ended his final FIFA World Cup campaign, bringing the legendary forward's 27-year journey on football's biggest stage to a heartbreaking close.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had hoped to cap his final World Cup by leading Portugal to the quarter-finals for a second consecutive tournament. Instead, Mikel Merino's early second-half strike sent Spain through to the round of 16 in Arlington, Texas, on Monday, 6 July, leaving Ronaldo's dream of lifting the World Cup trophy forever unfulfilled.