Ronaldo's World Cup era is over. Where did each tournament go wrong, and why?

Ronaldo’s World Cup era is over, and a new ESPN review assesses where each tournament cycle went wrong for the Portuguese forward. The piece notes that Ronaldo finishes with 11 World Cup goals, tied for ninth-best all time, and becomes the first player to score in six editions of the competition. It argues that despite a decorated résumé—including more than 800 club goals, nearly 150 international goals, five Ballon d’Ors, and five Champions League titles—the World Cup became a gap. After a productive 2006 run with Portugal finishing fourth, the article points to disappointments that varied by tournament, including limited support and finishing issues. It highlights that Portugal’s last match ended Monday with a 1-0 loss to Spain, and that in the round of 32 last week versus Croatia, the winning goal came with Ronaldo on the bench.