"I'm trying to enjoy as much as possible the fact that this will be my last World Cup."
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal made the remarks at a press conference held in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, one day ahead of Portugal's round-of-16 match against Spain at the 2026 World Cup in North America. He added, "I hope tomorrow won't be my last World Cup match, and that, God willing, I will keep moving forward," effectively hinting at his retirement from the World Cup stage.
Born in 1985 and now past 40, Ronaldo is competing in his sixth World Cup finals. He will be 45 by the time the next World Cup is held four years from now. Asked about his retirement plans that day, he smiled and said, "The reporters are rushing my retirement," before calmly adding, "I lack nothing. God has been so generous to me, and especially with the national team, he has given me everything I never expected. Winning the World Cup will not make me more Cristiano or less Cristiano. I just enjoy each day."
Ronaldo is a living legend representing Portuguese football. With 146 goals in 232 international matches, he holds both the national team records for most appearances and most goals. In this tournament, he has scored three goals through the round of 32, bringing his career World Cup total to 11 and demonstrating his enduring scoring touch. However, some have noted that he no longer displays the overwhelming force of his prime. In particular, he has faced criticism when compared with his rival Lionel Messi of Argentina, who leads the tournament's scoring chart jointly with seven goals and has 20 career World Cup goals.
In response, Ronaldo said, "I'm aware that I'm not the same player I once was, and I've adapted to the nuances that come with age," but added, "the fact that I can still score goals remains unchanged. I hope to score tomorrow, and if I can't, I hope my teammates will." He continued, "There may be other opinions about me, but I don't think I'm doing that badly. There are players who have scored more goals, but I'm not bad either. I have to keep moving forward," expressing his resolve.
