"These athletes bring prestige, pride...": Portugal PM hails men's national side after FIFA WC R16 run
Jul 07, 2026
Once again, Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old icon playing his last FIFA World Cup, saw their FIFA World Cup dreams sink in front of their eyes minute-by-minute as multiple chances went to waste and a 91st-minute strike from Mikel Merino proved to be the killer blow for the team, who had not made it into the last four since the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which marked Cristiano's debut.