iShowSpeed breaks down after Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo's 2026 World Cup elimination

Khizar Mundia Published 07/07/2026

Cristiano Ronaldo is known to be Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr.’s favorite football player, and he has made it his mission to attend every match of the Portuguese forward during the ongoing 2026 World Cup. He made an appearance at the last-16 match against Spain, but Portugal’s 1-0 loss left the streamer devastated.

iShowSpeed has been consistently livestreaming the FIFA World Cup 2026, but he recently missed a Portugal games due to travel issues, instead taking part in an emotional watch-along. The streamer could not contain his feelings in his latest YouTube broadcast — he visibly broke down as Portugal exited the World Cup in what will likely be Ronaldo’s last ever appearance at the tournament.

iShowSpeed starts crying as Ronaldo loses his last World Cup

Given the competition is taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada, travel issues have become the norm for Speed at this tournament, and the YouTuber had to run to the stadium to avoid missing the kick-off for Portugal vs Spain in Dallas.

He met many celebrities at the stadium, including Mark Cuban and Dallas Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith. The YouTuber was even shown on the big screen at the stadium and asked his chat, “What are the odds Ronaldo saw me?” Speed’s love for Ronaldo is a well-known fact, and he was at the match supporting Portugal, which is why he was disappointed when Ronaldo struggled to make an impact during the game.

Image credit: iShowSpeed

iShowSpeed was even more dejected when Nuno Mendes hit the crossbar against Spain. This feeling was amplified when Mendes was subbed off due to a possible injury. The streamer was eagerly waiting for Portugal to score, as the match was close to a finish. Unfortunately, for the streamer, Spain scored the opening goal in the 90th minute through Mikel Merino. This completely devastated Speed, and the YouTuber couldn’t hold back his tears. He broke down crying, as Portugal had exited the tournament and this was Ronaldo’s last World Cup match. The YouTuber couldn’t handle his favorite player never having won the biggest trophy of them all.

Just some time later, Speed was seen on the ground in a bathroom with his face wrapped in his arms, crying and visibly shaking. The YouTuber was saying, “I thought he was gonna win. I prayed for it.” iShowSpeed was visibly emotional, and he was ready to confront a fan who was taunting him by saying “Messi” as the YouTuber was heading towards his car. He got angry once more when another fan put up a morphed Ronaldo picture against his car window. Speed started hitting the window, telling the fan to “Get that away from me!” and then grabbed the picture after rolling down the window. He then said “green apples,” which is the YouTuber’s codeword to end the stream.

Image credit: iShowSpeed

Viewers have reacted to Speed sympathetically, with many not being surprised that he was so emotional given his attachment to the legendary forward. Some joked that iShowSpeed was more devastated than the Portugal team on the loss, but the American will continue his IRL tour for the remainder of the tournament, which ends on July 19.

Feature image credit: iShowSpeed

Khizar Mundia

About Khizar Mundia

Khizar Mundia has been playing video games for as long as he can recall. Things have come a long way since the many days he spent playing the original NES, though. He now covers a variety of competitive games and esports, as well as the world of streaming, ranging from Twitch to Kick. If it’s of interest to gamers, it’s of interest to Khizar.

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