Cristiano Ronaldo could not hold back his tears as he put on a jersey bearing the name of Diogo Jota following Portugal’s dramatic victory at the 2026 World Cup, as an emotional tribute exactly on the one-year anniversary of his late teammate’s passing.
Cristiano Ronaldo burst into tears after Portugal secured a highly controversial 2-1 victory over Croatia in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The 5-time Ballon d’Or winner was seen wearing the Portugal national team’s number 21 jersey bearing Diogo Jota’s name right after the final whistle at the Toronto stadium (Canada).
Ronaldo could not hide his emotions as he shed tears on the pitch, exactly one year since Jota lost his life in a traffic accident in Spain. The two players were originally close teammates in the national team shirt.
Many viewers watching the match on television caught the moment the 41-year-old forward continuously wiped away his tears.
Earlier in the match, Ronaldo scored the 1-1 equalizer from the penalty spot after the referee consulted VAR. In the 81st minute, manager Roberto Martinez decided to withdraw Ronaldo from the pitch while the match was still tied at 1-1.
The veteran forward could only watch from the technical area as Goncalo Ramos headed home the decisive goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time, helping Portugal take a 2-1 lead. However, the drama did not stop there. In the 103rd minute, Josko Gvardiol seemingly scored an equalizer for Croatia, but after another VAR check, the referee determined that Mateo Pasalic was in an offside position in the build-up to the goal and disallowed the strike.
After 19 minutes of tense stoppage time, the final whistle blew, sending Portugal into the round of 16. Right after that, Ronaldo performed an emotional tribute to Jota. He slowly stepped onto the pitch with his teammates, holding high the red Portugal jersey printed with Jota’s name and the number 21, then put it on as he moved with the whole team toward the stands to thank the fans.
Before kick-off, the big screen at BMO Field also displayed an image of Diogo Jota after the Portuguese national anthem was played. After the match, Ronaldo gathered all the players and coaching staff in the center circle, took off the jersey he was wearing, and turned the back to once again face Jota’s number 21 shirt toward the stands, before pointing to the sky in memory of his late teammate.
This victory also helped Ronaldo, who had just scored his first-ever World Cup knockout round goal after participating in six editions, while raising his total number of World Cup strikes to 11, secure a place for the Portugal national team in the round of 16 to face Spain in Dallas on July 5.
