Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portugal talisman, addressed the chatter about his possible retirement after the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Friday. Speaking after the win in the Round of 32 match against Croatia, the 41-year-old said that he hasn't made any decision and all the calls will be made once the competition comes to an end. Portugal got out of jail against Croatia to register a 2-1 win and move to the Round of 16, where they will now take on Spain.
However, all the chatter was about Ronaldo and whether the talisman is planning to call time on his career. All the speculation began after his sister, Katia, said the 48-team competition is the forward's “last dance”.
But Ronaldo neither denied nor confirmed anything, saying he is not someone who makes “reckless” decisions.
“It is not important now. I will have time to talk about that after winning or losing the tournament; I will talk to my family, and then I will make the most appropriate decision,” Ronaldo said after the match against Croatia.
"I no longer make decisions in the heat of the moment; now everything is done calmly. All that matters to me at the moment is enjoying the present and helping the national team,” he added.
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{{/usCountry}}"I no longer make decisions in the heat of the moment; now everything is done calmly. All that matters to me at the moment is enjoying the present and helping the national team,” he added.
Also Read: Croatia fans throw trash onto pitch after VAR rules out Josko Gvardiol’s goal and Portugal advances in FIFA World Cup
{{/usCountry}}Before the fixture against Croatia, Ronaldo's sister urged fans to make the most of the forward, as he will not play forever and is closer to the end.
Speaking to Sport TV, Katia said, "Enjoy it while it lasts. It's ending soon. The info I have, from a reliable source... this is his last dance."
“For intelligent people, those who like football, they have to like Ronaldo. They are the ones who end up losing out. He has been dominating for more than 20 years. Look where we are, the Aveiro family... and where we come from. Look at the suffering my mother went through... Do you think criticism will affect our happiness? Never," she added.
Ronaldo's performance
The Portugal forward netted his first-ever World Cup knockout goal on Friday after he converted a penalty to give his side the equalising goal against Croatia. This was his third strike in the ongoing competition. Ronaldo's goal was his only touch inside Croatia's box in his 81 minutes spent on the pitch.
However, Portugal manager Roberto Martinez finally took the hard call and substituted Ronaldo in the 81st minute of the game, with the match standing at 1-1. Goncalo Ramos then provided the goal, which gave Portugal the lead.
In the end, Portugal managed to hang on to register a nervy win. Croatia seemed to have equalised in the dying seconds; however, it was ruled offside. After the win, Ronaldo was spotted wearing the late Diago Jota's jersey as July 3 marks one year of his death.