Farewell, Cristiano Ronaldo. Farewell, my twenty years of youth.

The night wind of the Northwest once again stung the old captain's eyes.

Like his predecessor Magellan, he spent his life chasing the dream of circumnavigating the world, yet ultimately never reached the final shore.

On July 7, 2026, at Al Thumama Stadium, Portugal fell at the feet of Spain. The man wearing the number 7 jersey also ended his sixth World Cup.

Twenty years of perseverance, a journey spanning six World Cups, still couldn't bring him the coveted World Cup trophy.

At this moment, the World Cup story of Cristiano Ronaldo came to an end.

That once spirited, tearful, and joyful young man finally reached the legendary finish line.

And the youth of our generation seemed to draw its curtain along with his departure.

We grew up watching Cristiano Ronaldo, and unknowingly, he grew old with us.

His World Cup journey is like the life of many ordinary people.

There were peaks and valleys; glory and regret.

2006 World Cup in Germany.

21-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo stepped onto the World Cup stage for the first time, wearing the number 17 jersey, young but sharp.

That year, he scored his first World Cup goal. Portugal's golden generation was still by his side, and his era was quietly beginning.

That year, I was also sitting in a classroom, fighting for the college entrance exam.

He was running on the green field, I was buried in books at my desk.

We were both at the starting points of our respective lives, giving everything for the future.

2010 World Cup in South Africa.

25-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo truly shouldered the Portuguese national team for the first time.

Without seniors to shield him from the wind and rain, he began to face the world alone.

Eventually, they stopped in the round of 16.

That year, I had just graduated from college and entered society for the first time.

The pressure of work and the burden of life hit me all at once.

We both began to understand that growing up means learning to bear things alone.

2014 World Cup in Brazil.

29-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo played through the group stage with an injury, but still couldn't change Portugal's early exit.

It was perhaps the most helpless World Cup of his career.

That year, my life also entered its most difficult phase.

I worked hard, lived desperately, yet often failed to get the results I wanted.

Later, I realized that superstars have their own struggles, and ordinary people have theirs.

2018 World Cup in Russia.

33-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo witnessed his most classic World Cup match.

Against Spain, he completed a hat-trick.

The free kick just before the final whistle became one of the most iconic moments in World Cup history.

That year, I got married.

From then on, I was no longer living just for myself.

He carried the expectations of a nation on the field; I carried the responsibilities of a family in life.

It turned out that taking responsibility is the most important lesson of growing up.

2022 World Cup in Qatar.

37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in five consecutive World Cups.

But this time, he also accepted a place on the bench for the first time.

The once sharp-edged young man began to learn to make peace with time.

Portugal stopped in the quarter-finals.

The World Cup era of Messi and Ronaldo was also coming to an end.

That year, I became a father.

I finally began to understand how difficult it is for a person to persist in one thing for twenty years.

We all gradually sheathed our sharpness over time, placing responsibility before dreams.

Until 2026.

41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo stepped onto the World Cup for the sixth time.

Time had taken away his speed and his explosive power.

But it could never take away the discipline, hard work, and desire to win engraved in his bones.

Against Uzbekistan, he still scored a brace, setting a new World Cup record.

But in the end, he fell in the final leg of his journey.

The young man who chased the World Cup for twenty years ultimately couldn't fulfill his dream.

Many will say that not winning the World Cup is Cristiano Ronaldo's biggest regret.

But look back at his career.

Five Ballon d'Or awards.

Five UEFA Champions League titles.

European Championship.

UEFA Nations League.

All-time top scorer.

Champion in four major leagues.

From a poor boy on the island of Madeira to one of the greatest legends in world football.

With over twenty years of extreme discipline, he achieved an almost impossible life turnaround.

He told everyone through his effort: talent determines the starting point, discipline determines the finish line.

But even a person as excellent as him still has dreams that cannot be realized.

And that is precisely why Cristiano Ronaldo resembles us.

Life has never been about every effort yielding results.

Not every persistence will necessarily lead to a perfect ending.

What truly matters has never been whether the trophy is lifted in the end.

But rather, after falling down time and again, being willing to stand up and keep running.

The World Cup is over.

The era of Cristiano Ronaldo is over.

The football years in our youth are also over.

Later, we understood that the greatest maturity in life is not about having to win, but about giving it your all and then accepting all imperfections with grace.

Thank you, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Thank you for accompanying our youth.

Farewell, World Cup.

Farewell, Cristiano Ronaldo.

And farewell to that once young, passionate self who believed that hard work would surely make dreams come true.

@Cristiano #WorldCup