The Brazilian newspaper 'Globo' chose Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the list of biggest disappointments in the 2026 World Cup, after believing that the Portugal captain failed to provide the expected contribution during the tournament, despite entering the competition with high hopes of leading his national team.

The lineup prepared by the newspaper included several prominent global football stars who did not live up to expectations, including Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, Uruguayan Federico Valverde, Brazilians Casemiro and Danilo, alongside Portuguese Vitinha, Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly, Ecuadorian Piero Hincapié, German Florian Wirtz, Colombian Luis Díaz, and Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

The newspaper pointed out that these names entered the tournament after standout seasons with their clubs or due to their international record, but they failed to replicate the same level on the world stage, whether due to a decline in individual performance or early elimination of their teams from the competition.

According to the report, Ronaldo did not leave a significant mark in his latest World Cup appearance, as he only scored one goal from a penalty kick, while his statements and off-field actions overshadowed his technical performance, at a time when Gonçalo Ramos scored the most important goal for Portugal during their campaign in the tournament.

The newspaper also criticized De Bruyne's performance, considering that the Belgian national team appeared better in some periods without him, while Valverde failed to provide the usual attacking contribution with the Uruguay national team, and Casemiro appeared far from his known level in midfield.

And 'Globo' confirmed that the lineup included players who were candidates to lead their teams to contend for the title, but their participations ended with disappointing performances, making the 2026 edition one of the most frustrating tournaments for this group of stars.