Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo’s dream of winning the FIFA World Cup came crashing down on Monday. Portugal lost to Spain in the round of 16, thanks to Mikel Merino’s 91st-minute goal. The Portuguese icon was left feeling emotional as the cameras panned to what could be his final international game for his national side.

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Sirajwho is a huge fan of the Real Madrid legend, took to his Instagram story and posted a story. The message read, “No matter what happened today, you will always be my inspiration. A single game can never define your greatness. Thank you for inspiring millions across the world.”

Siraj has time and again used the ‘Suiii” celebration made famous by the footballer after taking a wicket.

41-year-old former Manchester United star has a huge fan following across the world and also enjoys huge support in India. Many football fans had hoped that the 2026 World Cup would give CR7 his perfect swansong with the title in his hands.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s teary exit ends his international career

Portugal seemed way off the mark during their game against Spain on Monday. The 2016 European Champions had just three shots on goal and didn’t create any clear chances. The Spanish side, on the other hand, had 15 shots, of which six were on target.

Ferran Torres put in a perfect through pass to Merino, who found himself one-on-one with Diogo Costa. The 30-year-old showed great composure as he slotted the ball home to give his side the lead. 2010 World Cup winners held onto the lead, and Portugal’s exit was confirmed when the referee blew the final whistle after nearly 10 minutes of time added on.

Mohammed Siraj enjoying a much-needed break

Speaking about Siraj, the pacer has been given some time off to manage his workload.

Gujarat Titans star was last seen playing for India in the one-off Test against Afghanistanwhere he took one wicket and scored 22 runs with the bat.

Prasidh Krishna replaced the seamer for the tours of Ireland and England. He has also been rested for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe and the Asian Games 2026, set to be played in September.