Cristiano Ronaldo made it official on Sunday. The 2026 World Cup will be his last. The Portugal captain told reporters ahead of Monday’s Round of 16 matchup against Spain that he plans to walk away from international football’s biggest stage after this tournament. But he also made it clear he’s not ready to retire from the game entirely just yet.
Ronaldo is 41 now. He’s played in every game Portugal has had this World Cup, starting all four and only getting subbed off once. That’s a lot of minutes for a guy his age. But he doesn’t see it that way.
“I want to enjoy it as much as possible, because it will be my last World Cup, yes. But I hope that tomorrow won’t be my last game in the World Cup,” Ronaldo said during the press conference.
He pushed back on the retirement chatter, too. The questions have been following him for years now. He’s clearly tired of them.
“I’ll finish when I want to, not when you want me to. It’s a waste of time to keep asking that question.”
Ronaldo also made a point to say his commitment to the team isn’t about him. “I’m always committed, body and soul, to helping the National Team. Whether I’m playing or not, I’ll always have an important role.” That ‘whether I’m playing or not’ part is worth noting. Roberto Martinez has started Ronaldo every game this tournament, but Portugal has other options. Goncalo Ramos showed that in the Round of 32, coming off the bench to score a 94th-minute header that pushed Portugal into the next round. The post-Ronaldo era is already starting to take shape, whether he likes it or not.
As for Monday’s game against Spain? There’s history there. The last time these two met in a World Cup was 2018. Ronaldo scored a hat trick and the game ended 3-3. He’s scored three goals so far this World Cup. Not bad for a 41-year-old. But he’s not satisfied.
“I don’t think I’ve been doing that badly… I’ve scored three goals. Others have scored more, but because they are doing very well. They feel very good. But let’s see if I can score tomorrow.”
Portugal is ranked seventh in the world. Ronaldo says the team believes it can win the whole thing. “If we didn’t have the idea that we could win the World Cup, we wouldn’t be here.” Spain will have something to say about that. But Ronaldo has been proving people wrong his whole career. No reason to expect that changes now.
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