The round of 16 of the World Cup dashed Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dreams for the third time, but the second specifically against Spain. The team nicknamed 'Brazil of Europe' exited the current edition after a 0-1 loss to the European champions on Monday evening at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Portugal reached the round of 16 by defeating Croatia 2-1 in the round of 32. But Spain, with a goal by Mikel Merino after the 90th minute, ended Ronaldo's sixth World Cup appearance. Ronaldo, the world football star and captain of Saudi club Al Nassr, began his World Cup campaigns by helping his country reach the semifinals in 2006 and finish fourth. Portugal lost 0-1 to Spain in the round of 16 of the 2010 edition, exited early in the group stage in 2014, lost 1-2 to Uruguay in the round of 16 in 2018. 'Brazil of Europe' reached the quarterfinals in 2022 and lost 0-1 to Morocco. The 41-year-old Ronaldo is the most frequent player in World Cup editions, tied with Argentine star Lionel Messi, with both appearing in six editions.