Messi, Ronaldo’s, and teary moments of World Cup 2026
By Luke Oluoch, July 8, 2026The unblinking eyes of the camera did it all, capturing some of the raw, unpredictable moments of the tournament as fans and footballers showed just how closely football connects to family ties and important life moments.
From Cristiano Ronaldo’s tearful bow after elimination from the World Cup to Cape Verde’s Nuno Da Costa and his family, here are some of the emotional images that captured the saddest moments on camera.
Ronaldo’s heartbreaking World Cup bow
A day after Ronaldo went emotional after confirming this would be his final World Cup, the final bow came in his first match after the big announcement as Portugal suffered a late elimination against Spain.
After the full-time whistle, perhaps soaking in the reality of his earlier announcement and the gravity of the moment, the Al Nassr man applauded the Seleção fans. He was almost in tears as he walked off in appreciation of the supporters.
Ronaldo, now 41 years old, made his debut in 2006 as a Manchester United ace and went on to light up the World Cup for over two decades.
Messi moved to tears after surreal comeback win
Messi followed with tearful eyes after his team’s dramatic comeback. The skipper endured missing a penalty before saving his team from the jaws of elimination with a last-gasp goal to level matters in normal time.
Enzo Fernández’s sucker punch delivered the final blow, allowing Messi and Argentina to continue their title defence.
Following the emotional rollercoaster, Messi had to use his jersey to wipe away his tears, later changing it altogether perhaps after getting it wet with tears. It was a complete shift in emotion from the tournament opener, where he also bared his emotions after opening with a hat-trick.
Cody Gakpo’s touch of resilience
Another emotional moment of the tournament was Cody Gakpo’s story. The Liverpool winger being surrounded by his teammates, unable to celebrate his goal during his nation’s Round of 32 match against Morocco on Monday, June 29, 2026, touched hearts globally.
The goal came just two days after Gakpo and his partner announced the tragic passing of their unborn son, Elijah Raphael.
Surrounded by embracing teammates, a visibly overwhelmed Gakpo fought back tears on the pitch, creating a powerful image of resilience amid immense personal grief. Gakpo and his spouse, Noa van der Bij, had announced that their unborn son passed away on Saturday, just before the player’s crucial knockout encounter.
Nuno Da Costa’s viral family embrace
Then there was Nuno Da Costa of Cape Verde, whose journey at the World Cup made the world fall in love with the tiny island nation of just 500,000 people. To add to their on-pitch fairytale run, the player and his family captured the world with a touching moment.
The incident involved the player, his wife, and their son after the debutants’ elimination against Messi and Argentina. Nuno’s wife and their crying son took it upon themselves to console the player as tears flowed freely. The moving scene of the little boy, albeit in tears himself, embracing and consoling his dad went viral on the internet, marking another unforgettable moment the African island nation made on the global stage.