Cristiano Ronaldo shares big news in a press conference before the Spain game
The end is near for Cristiano Ronaldo, the football legend with the most international goals ever. He has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will be his last.
At 41 years old, Ronaldo has had an incredible career, scoring 146 goals in 232 games for Portugal since his debut in 2003 during a 1-0 win over Kazakhstan. Just this week, he became the oldest player to score in the World Cup knockout stage, breaking the record held by his former teammate Pepe, after scoring against Croatia.
He’s also the first player to score in six different World Cups, with his latest goal coming in the group stage against Uzbekistan. Ronaldo shows that age is just a number, but his international career is drawing to a close.
Before Portugal’s last-16 match against Spain, Ronaldo shared that this summer’s World Cup will be his final one with the national team. “I want to enjoy it as much as possible, because it will be my last World Cup,” he told reporters. “But I hope tomorrow won’t be my last game.”
Ronaldo also reflected on his long career, saying he has given everything to football over 20 years. “I will finish when I choose,” he said. “You always ask if this is the last one. We’ll see. The most important thing is to play well tomorrow.”
He was honest about his feelings: “No matter what happens tomorrow, I will leave with a clear conscience. Football is my passion. I didn’t play because I needed to—I play because I love it.”
Ronaldo also said he’s not putting pressure on himself to win. “You have to enjoy every match in a big tournament like the World Cup. I think I’m doing okay. I’ve scored three goals—others have done better, but it’s not bad.”
Before the win over Croatia, Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, hinted that this really is the end of his international career. “Enjoy it while it lasts,” she said. “It’s ending soon. This is his last dance. I believe it’s not today that he’ll say goodbye, but it’s coming.”
She added, “It will be hard to find someone like him after 200 goals for Portugal.”
After the match, Ronaldo said the future isn’t what matters right now and that he’ll talk about it later.