Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup 2026 stats: Portugal star’s final tournament analysed after Spain defeat

After watching Lionel Messi score eight goals for Argentina across his opening five World Cup matches, Cristiano Ronaldo will be disappointed with his own return after managing just three goals in what proved to be his final tournament on football's biggest stage.

Ronaldo's first-half brace against Uzbekistan appeared to suggest the 41-year-old had rediscovered his goalscoring touch, but he struggled to make a significant impact in his other appearances against Colombia, Croatia and Spain, despite converting a penalty against the Croatians.

With Portugal now eliminated following their last-16 defeat to Spain, we take a look at Ronaldo's 2026 World Cup statistics and assess how he performed during his final campaign.

Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup 2026 stats

• Appearances: 5
• Goals: 3
• Assists: 0
• Yellow cards: 0
• Red cards: 0
• Shots: 18
• Shots on target: 9
• Passes: 101
• Pass success: 86.6%
• Key passes: 1
• Aerials won: 4
• Fouls: 2
• Fouled: 5
• xG: 3.19
  
  
  
  

Ronaldo's statistics from the 2026 World Cup make for difficult reading.

The majority of his expected goals came against Uzbekistan, while his limited involvement in Portugal's attacking play was highlighted by the fact he attempted just one key pass across 430 minutes of action.

Cristiano Ronaldo World Cup 2026 odds

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward struggled to make an impact in Portugal's opening match against DR Congo before bouncing back with a brace against Uzbekistan and a penalty in the final group-stage fixture against Croatia.

That double against Uzbekistan also saw Ronaldo become the first player in history to score at six different World Cups, adding another record to his remarkable career.

However, he was unable to make an impact in Portugal's last-16 clash with Spain as the 2010 champions secured a 1-0 victory thanks to Mikel Merino's late winner, bringing Ronaldo's final World Cup campaign to an end.

The Portugal captain confirmed before the knockout tie that the 2026 tournament would be his last appearance on football's biggest stage.

He finishes his World Cup career with 11 goals, while also holding the record as Portugal's leading World Cup scorer after surpassing Eusebio earlier in the tournament.