Cristiano Ronaldo has tipped Spain to reach the World Cup final after they eliminated his Portugal side with a dramatic 1-0 victory in the round of 16. The defeat marked the end of Ronaldo's sixth and final World Cup appearance, leaving the 41-year-old in tears at the final whistle.
Ronaldo's final World Cup ends in heartbreak
Portugal finished second in Group K after failing to beat DR Congo and Colombia, then overcame a tricky last-32 tie against Croatia. Their round-of-16 clash with arch-rivals Spain appeared destined for extra time until Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino scored an injury-time winner, sending the European champions through.
Speaking to Portuguese media after the match, Ronaldo said: 'I don't make decisions in the heat of the moment, nor do I want to detract from what was done at the World Cup with a personal decision. The overall assessment of the World Cup is that we could have done better, but we were eliminated by a team that will be in the final or close to it.'
Ronaldo praises Spain's potential
Ronaldo emphasised that the tight contest could have gone either way. 'I think it was a well-contested game, it could have gone either way, we were a bit unlucky to concede in the last five minutes. But, as I said, I leave with a clear conscience, I gave my best, we gave our best, and when that happens there's nothing to criticise,' he added.
Spain, like Portugal, underwhelmed in the group stages before thumping Austria and edging out Roberto Martinez's side. Luis de la Fuente's team face Belgium in the quarter-finals on Friday, with a potential showdown against World Cup favourites France looming.
Ronaldo thanks departing coach Martinez
Ronaldo also paid tribute to Portugal boss Roberto Martinez, who is set to leave his role and reportedly join Ronaldo at Saudi club Al-Nassr. 'What I want to say to the coach is that I loved working with him, he's a great human being, a great coach, and what he did for Portugal was commendable,' Ronaldo said. 'He won a title for Portugal, many people probably don't value that, but I value it a lot. Portugal hadn't won anything and in recent years has won three titles, and that shows the value that must be had.'
World Cup holders Argentina survive scare
Meanwhile, World Cup holders Argentina survived a huge scare to reach the quarter-finals, coming back from 2-0 down to beat Egypt 3-2 in the dying minutes. Ronaldo confirmed he has played his last World Cup game but stopped short of announcing his international retirement, saying he would not make decisions 'in the heat of the moment'.
