Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has paid an emotional tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo following their World Cup exit.
Ronaldo, of course, had already confirmed that the 2026 tournament will be the last World Cup of his career and Portugal's campaign ended in Dallas on Monday following a 1-0 defeat to Iberian rivals Spain .
The 41-year-old became the only player to ever score in six editions of the World Cup during the group stages but had attracted much criticism from onlookers for some ineffective performances.
Ronaldo 's dream of winning the World Cup is now over but Martinez has only thanks to pay to his forward following their defeat to Spain.
Speaking to reporters after the game (via The Guardian ), Martinez – who had already announced that he would be leaving his post regardless of what happened in the World Cup – said: "I had a word of thanks to him.
"He has been an exemplary captain. I arrived when there was a lot of confusion and questions in terms of his position in the team. But he has been an example not only in the number of goals he has scored, but also in the counterattacks he leads. He is an example, a role model to follow. He is a football icon. There aren't many Ronaldos out there.
"His dream was to win this World Cup and he did this by being an amazing example within the dressing room. He is a prime example of football, the athlete, and the human being who is behind that athlete."
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Martinez was also criticized for constantly picking Ronaldo at this stage of his career, particularly after predecessor Fernando Santos dropped him at the 2022 World Cup for Goncalo Ramos, who scored a hat-trick against Switzerland in the last-16.
Ronaldo is clearly one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen and his career was worthy of respect.
The last few international tournaments, however, always seemed like a bridge too far even for a player who has so often defied conventional wisdom.
And so he leaves the World Cup stage, having rarely got close to winning the biggest tournament the sport has to offer.
That is not to downplay his achievements but many onlookers saw exactly this outcome coming before a ball was kicked during this year's tournament.
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