Cristiano Ronaldo says this will be his last World Cup: ‘I’ve given everything’

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth World Cup with Portugal — one that has already reached the Round of 16 and could go further with another win Monday — will be his last.

Ronaldo confirmed that Sunday in his press conference ahead of Portugal’s match against Spain in Dallas, while expressing hope that Monday “isn’t my last game.”

“The day will come [when I retire from international football],” Ronaldo told reporters, according to ESPN. “But I’ll be honest. Whatever happens [Monday], Cristiano will leave with a clear conscience, not 100%, but 1,000%. Because I’ve given everything in football. I don’t need it, I have a good life, but it’s about passion. I play football because I love it… You have to enjoy every day. And I’ve scored three goals [at this World Cup], I’m not doing too badly, right?”

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal during Portugal’s July 2 match against Croatia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. AFP via Getty Images

Ronaldo’s decision means that he won’t play for Portugal when it hosts the World Cup in 2030 alongside Spain, ending a run of representing his country on the sport’s biggest stage that dates back to 2006.

He still hasn’t experienced a title yet, though Ronaldo helped Portugal inch closer to one with a penalty-kick goal that ultimately served as the winner in the Round of 32 against Croatia — also serving as his first-career goal in the World Cup knockout stage.

“It’s been fantastic,” Ronaldo said, according to ESPN, of a World Cup where he has collected three goals in total. “It goes beyond the pitch… This is the World Cup I’ll remember the most, because of people’s passion. It’s even more this time, I don’t know why. It’s been, emotionally, the best. I’ve enjoyed it very much.”

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo speaks at a World Cup press conference on July 5, 2026. AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Ronaldo, 41, also plays for Al-Nassr FC — a Saudi Pro League team — and has already etched his place as one of the greatest soccer players ever, and when he scored during a group stage game against Uzbekistan, he became the first player to score in six different World Cups.

And Monday afternoon, with plenty at stake for Portugal even before Ronaldo’s announcement, could end up being remembered as the final World Cup chapter in his storied career on the stage.