Fans anxiously await as "Ronaldo" has made his decision about his future after the 2026 World Cup.
On 3 July 2026, Katia Aveiro, Cristiano Ronaldo's older sister, gave a recent interview to Sport TV about her brother's future ahead of the 2026 World Cup round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia.
In this match, Portugal narrowly defeated Croatia 2-1, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a penalty in the 68th minute to equalize at 1-1, before Gonzalo Ramos headed the winning goal in stoppage time at 90+4 minutes.
This win kept Portugal on track for their first-ever World Cup championship, setting up a next-round clash against Spain, one of the tournament favorites who had convincingly beaten Austria 3-0.
Notably, Ronaldo scored his first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal in this tournament, despite having played in six previous World Cups and being the first player in history to score in six consecutive World Cups.
Recently, Katia Aveiro revealed that 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo plans to retire from the Portugal national team after the 2026 World Cup, stating, "From the information I have, you can prepare your farewell because I believe this is the final phase. So enjoy it while you still can."
"I don’t think he will stop playing today, but it won’t be long. I truly believe this tournament will be his farewell, so savor it fully because it will be hard to find anyone like him again."
"I’m talking about the Portugal national team. The information I received from reliable sources makes me believe this is his 'Last Dance.' So let’s enjoy it together."
Ronaldo’s latest goal brought his international tally to 146 goals in 232 appearances for Portugal, holding the records for most caps and most goals for the men's national team. He has led Portugal to victories in Euro 2016 and two UEFA Nations League titles (2018-19 and 2024-25).