Mexico breaks 40-year curse in World Cups

The defeat of the United States against Belgium

The United States, the last host of the 2026 World Cup that was still in competition, was left out of the tournament after losing 4-1 to Belgium in the round of 32, played in Seattle.

The Stars and Stripes team did not show the same level of the group stage. Belgium took advantage of the spaces and defensive errors to clearly win.

Just in the 9th minute, Charles de Ketelaere opened the scoring by finishing alone in the six-yard box a pass that the local defense failed to cut. It seemed that the United States could not harm Thibaut Courtois’ goal, but in the 31st minute, Malik Tillman took a free kick that deflected off the barrier and sealed the tie.

However, two minutes later, De Ketelaere came back with a header to make it 2-1. In the second half, a mistake by goalkeeper Matt Freese when clearing outside his area left the ball to Hans Vanaken, who scored 3-1 in the 57th minute. Already in stoppage time, Romelu Lukaku sealed the score 4-1.

Belgium knew how to withstand the American push, which generated few dangerous arrivals. Now, the Belgian team will face Spain in the quarterfinals on Friday in Los Angeles.

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.