Cristiano Ronaldo Confirms 2026 World Cup as His Final International Tournament

Cristiano Ronaldo, the veteran Portuguese footballer, confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark his sixth and final appearance in the tournament.

Following Portugal's 1-2 defeat in the round of 16 on Monday evening, Ronaldo said, "The truth is this was my last participation in the World Cup. As for my future, I will think carefully about it to avoid any hasty decisions," thereby creating uncertainty about when he will retire from international football.

At 41 years old, Ronaldo holds two international records for Portugal, having scored 146 goals in 233 international matches.

In remarks reported by the French network Monte Carlo, he added, "The greatest title I won with Portugal was the UEFA Euro 2016, which I consider as important as the World Cup. So I repeat, I leave the World Cup with a clear conscience after giving my best effort. Tomorrow will be a new day, and life goes on."

Ronaldo captained Portugal to victory in the 2016 European Championship and won the UEFA Nations League twice, in 2019 and 2025. He is also the all-time top scorer in the European Championship with 14 goals.

The Al Nassr forward continued, "I have won three titles with Portugal. Before Cristiano, there were no titles, so I am happy."

He emphasized, "Of course, I am sad to exit the World Cup this way, but as I said in the press conference on Sunday evening, I gave my utmost effort and will leave with a clear conscience."

Ronaldo concluded, "A footballer's life is about winning and losing, and this life must go on."