Ricardo Quaresma has launched an attack on head coach Roberto Martinez after Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal's elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Selecao das Quinas' run at the tournament came to a tragic end in their Round of 16 clash against Spain. Just as the tie seemed to be stuck at 0-0 and heading into extra time, substitute Mikel Merino scored a late winner (90+1') to break Portuguese hearts.
The defeat signified the end of the road for Ronaldo at the FIFA World Cup. The 41-year-old bagged 11 goals in 27 World Cup games between 2006 and 2026 and is the only player to have scored in six different editions of the tournament.
After the full-time whistle blew, Quaresma lashed out at Martinez's tactics in an exclusive with LiveModeTV. The 42-year-old said (via O Jogo):
Just hours after the loss, Martinez announced his decision to step down from his role as the head coach of the Portugal national team. With Ronaldo's departure from the international stage imminent, a new era beckons for Portuguese football.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has shattered several records during his career.
Thus far, the 41-year-old has racked up an eye-watering 976 goals and 261 assists in 1330 appearances across all competitions for club and country (stats via messivsronaldo.app). He has won five Ballon d'Or titles, four European Golden Shoes and countless other individual titles that have cemented his legacy for generations to come.
While he dominated in every single competition that he played in, the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup remained an unconquered peak for the talismanic forward. Across his first five appearances at the tournament (2006-2022), the former Real Madrid man failed to get on the scoresheet in eight knockout games for Portugal.
He finally ended his wait for a knockout phase goal by netting from the penalty spot as Portugal won 2-1 over Croatia in the Round of 32 of the 2026 edition. Unfortunately, the very next fixture turned out to be his final World Cup game as the Selecao das Quinas suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the Round of 16.
Ronaldo signed off from the FIFA World Cup with 11 goals in 27 games, placing tied-ninth on the competition's all-time goalscoring leaderboard.
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