Cristiano Ronaldo confirms Fifa World Cup 2026 will be his last
Cristiano Ronaldo confirms Fifa World Cup 2026 will be his last
Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the final World Cup of his legendary career, bringing an end to a remarkable journey that has included a record six World Cup appearances.
Speaking ahead of Portugal's Round of 16 clash against Spain in Dallas, the 41-year-old said he would leave football with no regrets and on his own terms.
"Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won't be my last match," Ronaldo said at the end of his press conference.
Earlier, Ronaldo had declined to officially confirm that this would be his final World Cup, saying he wanted the focus to remain on Portugal's next match.
"I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one? We will see. I don't want to draw attention to this. The most important thing is to play well tomorrow."
Reflecting on his career, Ronaldo said he has given everything to football and will retire with a clear conscience.
"I have given all I could to football. It's my passion to play. I didn't do it out of need—I'm doing well in life. It's about passion. I play for the national team because I love football."
He added that he is not placing unnecessary pressure on himself to win.
"Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I'm not going to put pressure on myself that I must win. You have to enjoy every match at a competition like the World Cup. I think I'm not doing so bad. I've scored three goals, others have done better, but I think I'm doing not so bad."
Ronaldo also revealed that he is enjoying this World Cup more than any of his previous five appearances and expressed confidence that Portugal can defeat Spain.
"If we didn't have this belief, we wouldn't be here. It's been a beautiful experience, and we're getting better in every match."
He acknowledged the difficulty of the tournament, noting that several strong teams have already been eliminated.
"We know this is a tough competition, and it's impossible to always do well. Some good teams have been eliminated, and that says everything. The team is calm, well prepared, and ready for a difficult challenge."
**This report is reported by Azad News HD.**
