Cristiano Ronaldo announced on July 5, 2026, that the ongoing FIFA World Cup would be his last tournament, marking the end of a record-breaking international career [1, 2, 3, 4]. The 41-year-old star said, "Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won't be my last match" ahead of Portugal's round-of-16 match against Spain [1]. If he plays against Spain, it will be his 233rd appearance for Portugal [5, 6, 3].

Ronaldo is competing in his sixth World Cup, a global first, and has already scored three goals in the 2026 tournament, including two in the group stage and a penalty in the knockout round against Croatia [5, 1, 2, 4, 7, 8]. He became the first player to score in six consecutive World Cups [4, 7, 8].

Portugal was eliminated on July 6 after a 1-0 loss to Spain, decided by a late goal from Mikel Merino. The defeat ended Ronaldo's World Cup campaign [9, 10, 11]. Despite the loss, Ronaldo remained resolute, stating, "I gave it my all. I did my best and I’m leaving with a clear conscience" [10].

Reflecting on his career, he said he will retire on his own terms and played out of passion, not necessity. "I'm going to be perfectly honest, regardless of what happens tomorrow, Cristiano is going to be 1000% leaving with a clear conscience. I have given all I could to football, it's my passion to play for so many years," he said [5, 1, 4, 7].

Ronaldo highlighted his achievements: winning three major titles with Portugal, including the 2016 European Championship and Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025. "Before Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal hadn’t won a single title. The biggest title the national team has ever won was in 2016, the European Championship, which, to be honest, is just as significant to me as a World Cup," he said [9, 10, 11].

He praised outgoing Portugal manager Roberto Martinez as "a great manager and human being" and lauded Spain’s young star Lamine Yamal alongside the overall quality of the Spanish team [9, 10, 11, 4, 7, 8].

Ronaldo also expressed gratitude for the criticisms he received over the years, saying they helped him mature [4, 7, 8].

He acknowledged uncertainty about his future beyond the World Cup but confirmed no hasty decisions would be made. "It was my last World Cup, yes, but I’ll now have time to reflect and be with my family. I won’t be making any rash decisions," he said [9].

Portugal’s exit from the tournament on July 6 ended Ronaldo’s World Cup career, though his legacy as one of football’s greatest remains secure [9, 10, 11].