Prateek Tanmay
2 min readUpdated: Jul 6, 2026 12:58 AM IST
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the last time he plays in the tournament. Playing in his sixth World Cup, Ronaldo will renew his bid to win the title for the first time in his illustrious career when Portugal face Spain in the Round of 16 in Dallas on Monday (Tuesday 12.30am IST).
“Yes, it’s my last one. Let’s go and enjoy it,” said Ronaldo in a press conference ahead of the game. It was a rather combative interaction with the press with Ronaldo calling out journalists who he said don’t “like” him.
Ronaldo also pointed specifically to a journalist over the course of the press conference. “Let him ask a question, he doesn’t like me,” he said. The journalist then asked what was the most difficult part of playing in a World Cup at the age of 41, to which Ronaldo replied: “The most difficult part is to talk to some of you. Especially those who don’t like me. You are one of them. I just need one look at the face and I’ll remember very well.”
Portugal’s decision to keep Ronaldo on the field for the entirety of their matches in the group stage had been questioned before the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was substituted in the 81st minute of their dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia in the round of 32.
Ronaldo had converted a penalty kick in the match and said after it that he will make a decision on his international career after the World Cup. “The future isn’t important right now. I’ll talk about it … I’ll have time — after we win or lose — to talk to my family, and then make decisions the way I do. I don’t make decisions on the spur of the moment anymore; now I take everything calmly. For now, it’s about enjoying today,” he had said.
A six-time Champions League winner with Manchester United and Real Madrid, the World Cup remains the only major trophy missing from Ronaldo’s overflowing cabinet, with Portugal having won the Euro in 2016.
