"He is an example, a role model to follow. This is somebody that we need to celebrate. We're talking about a football icon," Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said.

　　"There aren't too many Cristiano Ronaldos out there. I think we need to thank him. His dream was to win the World Cup and he chased it as an amazing example in the locker room."

　　Portugal had never won a major international tournament before Ronaldo. The first was the 2016 European Championship, before adding Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

　　Ronaldo's finale on soccer's biggest stage came eight years after he recorded a World Cup hat-trick at age 33, making him the oldest player to achieve the feat until Lionel Messi, who was 38 at the time, scored three goals for Argentina in a 3-0 win over Algeria on June 16.

　　Ronaldo's World Cup hat-trick came in a 3-3 draw with Spain in the 2018 edition's group-stage opener, which was considered one of the tournament's best matches, despite neither side reaching the knockout stage.

　　He scored three goals in this World Cup, and his 11 overall leaves him tied in ninth place on the all-time tournament scoring list.

Cristiano Ronaldo embraces Spain's Lamine Yamal after Monday's round-of-16 match in Dallas. [Photo/Agencies]

　　Messi rivalry

　　Throughout the tournament, Ronaldo largely avoided comparisons with Messi. Still, as his World Cup story closes, the contrast is difficult to ignore. Their rivalry defined an era, but never fully extended to the World Cup stage.

　　Messi guided Argentina to the 2014 final, and then won the title in 2022, while Ronaldo's runs repeatedly ended in frustration.

　　There was, however, the prospect of a World Cup meeting.