Cristiano Ronaldo says Euros are as important as World Cup, divides social media

Cristiano Ronaldo has divided the football world once again after claiming that his Euro 2016 win was as significant as his World Cup victory. The Portuguese captain said this immediately afterwards Painful defeat of Portugal 0:1 with Spain in the round of 16, a result that definitively ended his World Cup career.

Spain’s Mikel Merino’s dramatic 91st-minute strike dashed Portugal’s hopes at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and ensured the World Cup trophy remains just an omission on Ronaldo’s storied list of achievements. Portugal manager after being eliminated Roberto Martinez also confirmed that he will step down from his role.

The 41-year-old forward reflected on his international legacy after the final whistle and sought to downplay the absence of a world title by highlighting the transformative impact of his international career.

“I won three titles for Portugal; before Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal did not win a single title,” Ronaldo said. “The biggest title the national team has ever won was the European Championship in 2016, which to be honest is as important to me as the World Cup.”

Ronaldo won Euro 2016 with Portugal, beating hosts France 1-0 in the final.

The remarks immediately sparked a wild debate across social media platforms. While loyal supporters defended the comments as a realistic assessment of the immense difficulty of winning the European Championship, critics labeled the statement an exercise in damage control and suggested it was a deliberate attempt to downplay the prestige of the World Cup, as he would never win it. Screengrab by X

Screengrab by X

Output ended a a difficult and tightly controlled final tournament for Ronaldo. During the 2026 World Cup, the veteran forward found himself primarily in a limited role. Ronaldo, while managing his minutes in the group stages, failed to exert his usual clinical dominance on the pitch and finished the tournament with three goals to his name. He netted twice in the group stage against Uzbekistan and scored again in the Round of 16 victory over Croatia. By finding the back of the net in North America, Ronaldo achieved another historic milestone, becoming the first male footballer to score in six different editions of the FIFA World Cup.

The failure to impress when needed reflected his wider efforts to recapture his top international form, leaving Portugal to rely on a younger generation of attacking talent who ultimately couldn’t find a way past Spain’s defence.

Defeat marks the end of an extraordinary, record-breaking World Cup journey spanning two decades. Ronaldo made his tournament debut 20 years ago at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where a talented Portuguese side reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by France. He scored his first World Cup goal in that tournament against Iran, converting a penalty to become Portugal’s youngest goalscorer at the World Cup.

By appearing in the 2026 edition, Ronaldo completed his status as one of only three male players to appear in six separate World Cup tournaments. During his 20-year World Cup career, he made 27 appearances and scored 11 goals, making him Portugal’s top scorer in the competition’s history.

His most prolific tournament came in Russia 2018, highlighted by a memorable hat-trick against Spain in the group stage. In 2022, he became the first male player to score in five different World Cups after scoring against Ghana. His strike against Croatia in 2026 had special significance as it marked his first and only career goal scored during a World Cup knockout stage match. Portugal’s elimination by Spain brings the curtain down on his World Cup career, ensuring the debate about his ultimate legacy will continue long after he leaves the biggest stage.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

07 Jul 2026 10:18 IST