Cristiano Ronaldo set a negative record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup…
Cristiano Ronaldo set a negative record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by playing in 10 knockout-stage matches without scoring any goals in open play, with his only goal coming from a penalty. Portugal was eliminated in the round of 16 by Spain, marking what is described as Ronaldo's final World Cup appearance.
Consensus
- Cristiano Ronaldo played in 10 knockout-stage matches at FIFA World Cups without scoring any goals in open play.
- Ronaldo scored one goal during the knockout stages of the World Cup, which came from a penalty kick against Croatia in the round of 16 of the 2026 tournament.
- Portugal was eliminated in the round of 16 by Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup is described as Ronaldo's final appearance in a World Cup tournament.
- The data supporting these claims comes from OptaJoe.
Points of divergence
- Ronaldo became the player with the most knockout-stage appearances at World Cups without scoring goals, establishing an all-time negative record. — vm
- Former CSKA Moscow footballer Dmitry Kuznetsov criticized Ronaldo's performance at the tournament and claimed that coach Roberto Martínez and the entire Portuguese team were constrained by Ronaldo’s star status. — vm
- Luka Modrić has decided to continue playing for both his club, AC Milan, and the Croatian national team. — vm
Coverage (2 sources)
- Ronaldo sets a new anti-record at the 2026 World Cup — Вести
- Cristiano Ronaldo sets all-time anti-record at the World Cup — Вечерняя Москва