All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal took on Spain in the World Cup Last 16, but the veteran forward looked every bit his 41 years of age as his nation lost 1-0.

Despite its billing, the game was a low-key event as both teams struggled to create much. In the end, Mikel Merino came off the bench to net a winner, keeping his cool when put through on goal in the 91st minute.

And with that, Ronaldo’s hopes of winning at the World Cup came to an end. This was his sixth time playing in the tournament, but having failed to go all the way yet again, he has now confirmed this was his last shot at glory.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Jerome

The Al-Nassr striker’s inclusion in the team has been up for debate for some time now. He failed to score at Euro 2024, but kept his place in the team this summer. Thierry Henry was among those to question just how useful it was to have Ronaldo in the Portugal starting XI.

The 41-year-old scored two goals against Uzbekistan and a penalty vs Croatia in his five World Cup outings, but he struggled to have any impact against Spain. In light of the 1-0 defeat, the Portuguese media have now dropped a very clear verdict on Ronaldo, suggesting it’s time he stepped away from the national team.

Portugal’s A Bola strongly stated:

Portuguese outlet Record added: “Ronaldo finished his last stage with another regret, recording 11 World Cup goals in total (3 in this tournament).

“Unfortunately, this kind of scene was not new to Ronaldo and the Portuguese people. He was eliminated in the round of 16 by Morocco in the 2022 Qatar tournament and cried in the tunnel heading to the locker room. Ronaldo’s end on the world’s biggest stage became one of sadness.”

A Bola were also baffled that Ronaldo wasn’t subbed off sooner for Gonçalo Ramos, although it laid the blame at the feet of manager Roberto Martinez (who has since quit).

Their journalists wrote, “There is only one person responsible. Martinez,” before adding: “The obsession with never touching the established status of Ronaldo and [Bruno] Fernandes ultimately left Portugal in tears.

“Not putting Ramos in was the final scene of the horror movie Martínez showed. It was like choosing a diplomatic coach who would smile and wave while the house was burning rather than causing a stir. Ramos was a player who produced an attacking point every 37 minutes on average at the World Cup.”

Writers from A Bola then urged change, saying,

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo crying via Reuters/Jerome Miron

Adding to the criticism, the Spanish media have also commented on Ronaldo’s final World Cup outing, as they watched their countrymen knock Portugal out of the tournament. As quoted by the Mirror, ABC wrote:

“Lacking speed, dribbling and bite. At times, he didn’t even seem to know what to do with the ball. “His lacklustre performance wasn’t enough to send him to the bench, which partly explains the meagre attacking output of a Portugal side that relied on him as its main attacking threat.”

La Razon called “participation in the game was limited” and highlighted his lack of movement: “Over the years, his range of action on the field has considerably reduced, and he no longer possesses the explosiveness that characterised much of his career.

“He was the player who covered the fewest kilometres and never came close to truly troubling Unai Simon. He left without the leading role he had envisioned for such a momentous night, although with the feeling of having given everything he had.”

AS summed things up as they asked: “What about Cristiano? No sign of him.”

Arsenal now know how much they will have to pay to snap up an experienced Premier League right-back. Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta are carefully crafting their summer recruitment strategy, keen to improve as they look to bridge the gap to PSG, but they must be careful not to disrupt what is already a very good team.

There are one or two areas Arteta wants to strengthen, with the left-wing and number 8 roles the biggest priority, in that order, while the Spaniard will also want a little more depth at right-back, given Ben White’s injury troubles, and then it will be about replacing any squad players who are lured away by the opportunity to start regularly elsewhere.

Wan-Bissaka price tag emerges

One of Arsenal’s less expected summer targets is said to be West Ham star Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who will be hoping to stay in the Premier League despite the Hammers being relegated. Wan-Bissaka did well with DR Congo in the World Cup this summer, and he has proven himself a solid defender at Premier League level.

The former Manchester United star is not going to be seen as a starting option for Arsenal, but he can certainly be a deputy at the position, and his pace means he can offer something different off the bench. That pace on the right is arguably something Arsenal don’t have enough of between White and Timber.

According to The Athletic, West Ham will commission a Wan-Bissaka sale this summer, but they are asking for a £25million asking price to be met. The 28-year-old is likely to want a move, but he is under contract until 2031, giving West Ham plenty of control over his future.

The Hammers are set to make £10million on their initial £15million investment.

Wan-Bissaka is ‘the best’ at one particular skill

Wan-Bissaka has regularly been dubbed the best one-on-one defender in the Premier League over the years. James Maddison once said: “AWB is ridiculously good at 1 v 1 defending. Probably the best in the world bar none. So many wingers run out of ideas when playing directly against him.”

Martin Keown added back in 2020: “He’s a magnificent defender, simply the best one-against-one defender in the Premier League. He’s patient, look how close he gets to his opponent. Sterling has got electric pace but it doesn’t matter because he goes in. He takes charge of things.

“People thought I was good and I think this guy is ahead of me. He has got that arrogance and great pace. He picks his moment, it’s brilliant defending. His teammates know he is their best defender.”

A shock seat swap in Formula One could be on the cards for next season.

The F1 season has been full of its usual twists and turns, both on and off the track. The latest reports, however, suggest one of the most dramatic transfers could well unfold. And this rumour appears to have more substance than the usual ‘Silly Season’ gossip.

As F1 approaches its summer break, the drivers and their camps plot out potential moves. As it becomes clear which constructors have the fastest cars and which driver in their pairings has priority, tensions and frustrations can rise. This has been particularly true in the McLaren camp.

While they produced the fastest cars last season, they have been off the pace this year. That, in addition to their ‘papaya rules’, has led Oscar Piastri to become increasingly upset with the team. The Australian has been linked with a move away since the end of the 2025 season, when he lost out on the championship to his teammate Lando Norris.

Driver Unhappy With His Current Team

Andrew Boyers via Reuters

Piastri and his team believe he has been treated unfairly under the papaya rules. These are a set of guidelines that are intended to foster clean racing by allowing them to race, but must do so without any contact.

However, it has caused some controversy, particularly due to its inconsistent application in situations where McLaren have issued team instructions to Piastri, ordering him to allow his teammate Norris through. This has caused a strained relationship between his manager, Mark Weber, and the team.

With speculation mounting, it may be that his decision has now been made. The 24-year-old has a contract with the Woking outfit until 2028, but it has recently been revealed that he has an exit clause that could see him leave should he be outside the top five by summer break. Piastri currently sits in sixth with two races to go.

A report by Grande Premio claims that he is weighing up ‘activating his release clause and terminating his contract.’ The papaya rules, the 2025 season, and an underwhelming performance in the current season, have fractured his relationship with McLaren and ‘exposed internal friction’ between Webber and the British outfit’s leadership.

If Piastri is to leave, it would free up the possibility of F1’s biggest shock since Lewis Hamilton‘s move to Ferrari: Max Verstappen to McLaren.

Driver Swap Could Take Place

Like Piastri, Verstappen has cut a frustrated figure at his outfit. He has been transparent about his anger at the new regulations and has openly criticised the RB22 on multiple occasions. Amid speculation that he plans to leave Red Bull, or potentially even F1, rumours have spread linking him to McLaren.

Verstappen has a similar exit clause in his contract allowing him to leave should he finish outside the top two by the summer break. That condition has been fulfilled as the Dutchman cannot mathematically catch George Russell in second.

Bruna Casas via Reuters

Should both claims come to fruition, the most likely outcome is a swapping of the seats, which would see Verstappen race in the orange of McLaren while Piastri would join Red Bull.

With McLaren, alongside just about every outfit, longtime admirers of Verstappen, and Red Bull viewing Piastri as a successor to the Dutchman, this move makes a great deal of sense for all parties involved. However, nothing is concrete yet, with Webber also talking to Audi over a potential deal for his driver.