Ronaldo’s World Cup ends in tears, karma comes calling for the United States | OneFootball

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the stage where reputation counts for little, with several of the tournament’s biggest names no longer in the picture.

With the United States joining Canada and Mexico on the sidelines, all three co-hosts have now crashed out.

Read on as we bring you the most important takeaways from another dramatic World Cup day.

End of an era

Less than 24 hours after Neymar’s last World Cup appearance, another generational talent bid farewell to the grandest international stage in arguably the most heartbreaking fashion.

Mikel Merino scored a 91st-minute winner off the bench to inspire Spain to a 1-0 victory over Portugal, crushing Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of winning the only title missing from his illustrious trophy collection.

One of the most accomplished players of all time was left to watch his lifelong dream disappear before his eyes, bringing an extraordinary international career to a close.

No matter where you stand on Ronaldo, no one can deny that he is one of football’s all-time greats, and seeing him in tears after the final whistle was a sobering reminder that even the most decorated careers do not always get the fairytale ending.

Football is a cruel game, and not even the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could escape its unforgiving nature. Social media went wild in the wake of Portugal’s exit, with some fans displaying a remarkably short memory.

Those mocking the living legend who redefined modern football have quickly forgotten everything he has given the game, but it’s not criticism – it’s ignorance.

However, only true football fans will appreciate the privilege of having witnessed one of the most incredible careers the game has ever seen.

Ronaldo has always been the point of difference, and given his undying thirst for success, maybe this wasn’t the final chapter.

Cosmic justice catches up with the US

Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere soaked up the limelight as Belgium’s hero in a 4-1 thrashing of the United States at Seattle’s Lumen Field, helping his country reach the quarter-finals for the third time in the last four World Cup editions.

The former AC Milan star scored twice in the opening 35 minutes to give the Red Devils a narrow half-time lead, while Malick Tillman kept the US’ dream alive with a fortunate free-kick.

However, New York City FC goalkeeper Matt Freese made an epic blunder early in the second half, allowing Hans Vanaken to put Rudi Garcia’s side two goals up, and there was no way back for the co-hosts.

Romelu Lukaku put the icing on the cake in stoppage time, scoring his second goal of the tournament.

US president Donald Trump’s controversial intervention to revoke Folarin Balogun’s suspension ultimately came to nothing, reminding everyone that football has a way of restoring balance.

Justice was served on the pitch as Garcia’s defenders reduced the Monaco striker to a marginal figure, keeping him cut out from the rest of the pack for the 90 minutes.

After a nerve-wracking win over Senegal in the opening knockout round, Belgium delivered a much more convincing performance against the US. As a reward, they will face Spain in a blockbuster quarter-final tie.

History-chasing Pharaohs looking to take down reigning champs

Mohamed Salah has been far from his formidable best at this World Cup, yet it did not stop Egypt from winning a knockout match for the first time in their history, beating Australia on penalties to set up a mouth-watering tie against Argentina.

Another piece of history is up for grabs here as Hossam Hassan’s men bid to become just the fifth African nation to reach a World Cup quarter-final, though this task seems to be nothing short of Herculean.

Waiting for the Pharaohs in Atalanta are the defending champions, whose last-32 performance flattered to deceive, even though they sent tournament sensation Cape Verde home after extra-time drama.

Heavily favoured to progress from this stage, too, Lionel Scaloni is likely to once again put the nation’s fate into the hands of Lionel Messi, who continues to stack up records in North America despite turning 39 only a fortnight ago.

La Pulga’s opener against Cape Verde made him the first player in World Cup history to reach a 20-goal landmark, while he also extended his jaw-dropping scoring streak in the finals to eight consecutive matches.

There’s this sense of inevitability surrounding the Inter Miami captain, who has now set his sights on becoming just the sixth player in history to score in his team’s first five outings at a World Cup.

Egypt must find a way to deal with Messi if they’re to stage an upset at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium and deny Argentina a ninth successive World Cup victory against African opposition.

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It took Switzerland nearly a century to taste success in the World Cup knockout stage, but they did so convincingly against Algeria in the round of 16, scoring on either side of half-time to clinch a well-deserved 2-0 win.

Seeking a place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954, the Swiss now face South American heavyweights Colombia, whose last quarter-final appearance was in 2014.

Despite Los Cafeteros’ pre-match favouritism, Murat Yakin’s side will fancy their chances in Vancouver, perhaps driven by revenge after a 2-0 defeat in the last World Cup held on North American soil.

Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi has emerged as an unlikely hero for Switzerland this summer, racking up five goals and three assists, and he is one to keep an eye on in this high-stakes clash.