Belgium leaves the United States out of the 2026 World Cup

A farewell with unshed tears

With his gaze lost between the stands and the applause of the fans, Cristiano Ronaldo walked towards the locker room. He knew that he had just played his last game in a World Cup. Hours earlier he had assured that he would leave in peace, proud of his career.

The dream of qualifying Portugal among the eight best ended in agony. A solitary goal from Spain sealed the score at 1-0 and eliminated the Portuguese team in the round of 16.

Six World Cups and an indelible legacy

In his sixth World Cup participation, the Portuguese striker says goodbye with 11 goals and a place among the tournament’s greatest legends. His time at the World Cups left unforgettable moments:

• 2006: Portugal 2-0 Iran
• 2010: Portugal 7-0 North Korea
• 2014: Portugal 2-1 Ghana
• 2018: Portugal 3-3 Spain and 1-0 Morocco
• 2022: Portugal 3-2 Ghana
• 2026: Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan and 2-1 Croatia

The images of his goodbye spread around the world in minutes. Thousands of fans mourned the farewell of a footballer who marked an era. Experts and followers expressed respect and admiration for a career full of achievements.

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves in peace, but the emotion of the moment could not hide the weight of a final farewell.

The Mexican National Team left the High Performance Center (CAR) in the first hours after the defeat against England in the round of 16. The concentration, which began on May 6 with the hope of making history, ended with the team’s early goodbye.

The first to retire were Javier Aguirre and Rafael Márquez. This was Aguirre’s last game as coach of Tri. In the absence of an official presentation, Márquez will take the reins of the team heading into the next process.

Tri’s farewell

For 61 days, the players formed what they called “a family” in each interview. The good atmosphere was reflected in the training sessions and the playing field. After the elimination, each footballer took their path.

Of the 26 summoned, some left in vans with relatives; others used the Organizing Committee’s private transportation. They will now have two weeks of vacation before reporting to their clubs.

The illusion of reaching the quarterfinals for the first time was cut short. The squad, which spent two months concentrated, broke ranks and put an end to the World Cup adventure.

Mbappé’s complaint

French forward Kylian Mbappé used his social networks to denounce the comments of Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla. The sayings occurred after France’s 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

“Madam, you are a despicable woman, unworthy of your position. You do not represent Paraguay, a country that demonstrated passion and honor throughout the tournament,” Mbappé wrote on his X account.

He added: “With your recklessness and blatant racism, the entire world has already forgotten the trajectory and historical effort of your players, leaving only an incompetent woman who projects the worst possible image of her country. I will never allow people like you to continue spreading your hatred and racism throughout the world.”

The senator’s messages

Amarilla had published expressions against the Real Madrid footballer on social networks. He described him as a “colonized Cameroonian, posing as French, nouveau riche, arrogant and ugly”, as well as a “brute who never learned to write”. He also wrote: “The only thing that many of us criticize about the Paraguayan team is that we don’t give them a good slap at the end of the game.”

The French Football Federation condemned the senator’s statements and described them as “abject and unacceptable.” He announced that “he will report the case to the prosecutor’s office so that the pertinent legal measures can be taken.”