Cristiano Ronaldo Addresses Retirement Rumours After Portugal's World Cup Win Over Croatia

Published 3 July 2026 · sports

Cristiano Ronaldo Addresses Retirement Rumours After Portugal's World Cup Win Over Croatia Published By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026, 09:31 IST Cristiano Ronaldo refused to

Cristiano Ronaldo Addresses Retirement Rumours After Portugal's World Cup Win Over Croatia Published By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026, 09:31 IST Cristiano Ronaldo refused to confirm or deny retirement after Portugal's World Cup win over Croatia, saying he will only make a decision once the tournament ends. Rapid Read Cristiano Ronaldo addressed his sister's comments on his retirement (AP) Is the FIFA World Cup 2026 Cristiano Ronaldo’s final tournament? The Portugal captain isn’t ready to answer that question just yet. The 41-year-old addressed growing speculation over his international future after Portugal’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Round of 32, insisting he will only decide whether to retire once the tournament comes to an end. “I don’t make reckless decisions. I will decide after the tournament, not now," Ronaldo said after Portugal booked its place in the Round of 16.

The retirement debate gathered momentum earlier this week after Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, claimed the expanded 48-team World Cup would be the legendary forward’s “last dance." Speaking to Sport TV before Portugal’s clash against Croatia, Katia urged football fans to appreciate Ronaldo while they still can. “Enjoy it while it lasts. It’s ending soon. The info I have, from a reliable source… this is his last dance," she said. She also defended her brother against years of criticism. “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." On the pitch, Ronaldo once again proved why retirement can wait. After Croatia took the lead through Ivan Perisic, the Portugal captain calmly converted a 68th-minute penalty to level the scores. It was his first-ever goal in a FIFA World Cup knockout match and his third strike of the 2026 tournament. Remarkably, the penalty was Ronaldo’s only touch inside Croatia’s penalty area during his 81 minutes on the field, underlining his ability to make decisive contributions even when opportunities are limited. Portugal eventually completed the comeback through Goncalo Ramos’ stoppage-time winner to seal a 2-1 victory, although Croatia thought they had forced extra time before a dramatic late equaliser was ruled out by VAR to set up a blockbuster Round of 16 clash against Spain. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Siddarth Sriram After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas.