Cristiano Ronaldo has officially confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States will be the final World Cup of his career. The 41-year-old star made the announcement one day before Portugal’s Round of 16 clash against Spain in Dallas, Texas. His remarks were reported by The Guardian on Sunday, July 5, 2026.
According to The Guardian, Ronaldo made the announcement during a press conference attended by journalists from around the world.
“This will be my last World Cup. Hopefully tomorrow won’t be my last match,” Ronaldo said, as quoted in the report.
Over his 23-year international career with Portugal, Ronaldo has made 232 appearances, scored 146 goals, and competed in six FIFA World Cups.
He made his senior debut for Portugal against Kazakhstan before a crowd of around 8,000 spectators, coming on as a second-half substitute for Luis Figo. Now, his final World Cup appearance could take place at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in front of approximately 80,000 fans against Spain.
A defeat in the Round of 16 would eliminate Portugal and bring Ronaldo’s World Cup journey to an end.
Despite acknowledging that this is his final World Cup, Ronaldo appeared calm and even joked at times during the press conference. He said that throughout the past two decades, many people had tried to “kill” his career, but he had continued to persevere.
“They’ve been trying to kill me for 23 years. There’s no point paying too much attention to it. It’s part of the journey,” Ronaldo said, according to the report.
Ronaldo also emphasized that he does not feel incomplete even though the FIFA World Cup remains the only major trophy missing from his remarkable career.
“God has been generous to me. I won’t become a better or worse Cristiano if I win the World Cup or not,” he said.
He added that scoring three goals in the tournament is already a respectable achievement at his age.
Speaking about the match against Spain, Ronaldo said he did not want to place excessive pressure on himself.
“Whatever happens tomorrow, I’ll leave with a clear conscience—not 100 percent, but 1,000 percent—because I’ve given everything to football. I play because I love it. Whatever happens tomorrow, I can’t put pressure on myself by saying we absolutely have to win,” Ronaldo said, as quoted in the report.
Ronaldo also expressed his gratitude to Portugal’s supporters, whom he said have always stood by him throughout his career. He even thanked the journalists who have criticized him over the years, saying that criticism had become part of his journey as one of football’s greatest players.***
