Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed on Sunday that the 2026 World Cup will be his last major tournament, quipping with reporters that critics trying to “kill” him for 23 years have failed.
What happened?
Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the round of 16 on 4 July, with Ronaldo scoring a penalty — his first goal in a World Cup knockout match — before Gonçalo Ramos headed home a stoppage-time winner. The win booked a rematch with Spain, one of the tournament favorites, on 7 July in Dallas.
Ronaldo, 41, faced repeated questions about whether this was his final World Cup. He batted the premise away with humor, telling reporters: “I will finish when I want to, not when you want me to.” He added: “You guys don’t want me to come again, huh? That’s what you want. I get it, I heard you now.”
Why it matters for Cristiano Ronaldo
The 2026 World Cup is Ronaldo’s sixth and final appearance on soccer’s biggest stage. He has spent two decades fielding eulogies for his career, but on the eve of the Spain tie he leaned into the jokes, ribbing detractors who have trailed him since 2003.
Ronaldo insisted the criticism fuels him. “For 23 years you have been trying to kill me, but you have already realized that it’s not worth it,” he said. He argued the Portuguese public backs him, calling outside noise “garbage and counts for nothing.”
The forward also downplayed the idea that winning a World Cup would change how he sees himself. “I am not going to be more Cristiano for winning the World Cup, or be less Cristiano if I don’t win the World Cup,” he said. “I leave here with a clear conscience. Not 100 percent, but 1,000 percent.”
What comes next?
Portugal face Spain on Monday afternoon in Dallas. A win would keep Ronaldo’s quest for the one prize missing from his résumé alive. He arrived in Arlington loose, quick with a smile, eager to draw laughs from the gathered press.
Asked the hardest part of playing at 41, Ronaldo deadpanned: “The most difficult thing is talking to you all — some of you, the ones who don’t like me, especially.” He bantered with reporters throughout, even beckoning a question from a journalist he said he knew didn’t like him. “I remember people’s faces very well,” he added.