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Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will be his last as a player.
He and his Portugal teammates face Spain in Dallas on Monday night, with a place in the quarterfinals on the line.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the match, the 41-year-old said: “Let this be my last World Cup; this is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow is not my last match.
The Al-Nasr forward was then left with a round of applause by the journalists in the room.
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Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Portugal fans from the balcony of the team hotel after beating Croatia to advance to the World Cup.
Ronaldo has previously refused to confirm that the tournament will be his last, although he will be 45 when the next tournament is played in 2030.
“I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: Is it over? We will see. I don’t want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow,” he said on Sunday.
“I’m going to be perfectly honest, whatever happens tomorrow, Cristiano is going to be 1,000 per cent with a clear conscience.
“I have given my best in football, playing has been my passion for so many years. I have not done it out of necessity, I am doing well out of life. It is a matter of passion. I play for the national team and I love playing football.
“Whatever happens tomorrow, I’m not going to put pressure on myself that I have to win.
“In a big competition like the World Cup you have to enjoy every match. I think I’m not doing that bad. I scored three goals, others did well but I think I’m not doing that bad.”
The former Man United and Real Madrid forward faced criticism for his performances at the World Cup, with Portugal producing inspiring displays across their three group games.
Ronaldo failed to score in a shock opening draw against DR Congo but managed a brace against Uzbekistan. The goalless draw against Colombia once again raised question marks over his involvement.
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Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t too happy with Lionel Messi’s question.
The legendary Portuguese forward is his country’s leading goalscorer and appearance maker, scoring 146 in 232 caps. Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cups when he scored against Uzbekistan.
His goal from the spot in a 2–1 win over Croatia made him the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history and also the oldest to play in the knockout stages.
