Cristiano RonaldoThe extraordinary international career may enter its final chapter, with his sister Katia Aveiro revealing that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the “last dance” of the Portuguese legend in the national colors.The emotional revelation came as Ronaldo continued to rewrite football history, inspiring Portugal to a dramatic 2-1 win over Croatia in the Round of 32 while becoming the oldest player to score a goal FIFA World Cup knockout match and the oldest outfield player to start a men’s World Cup knockout fixture.Speaking outside Toronto Stadium ahead of the knockout clash with Portugal, Aveiro suggested the curtain was set to fall on one of the greatest international careers the game has ever seen.“From the information I have, they can say goodbye,” he told Sport TV. “Not now, but I believe it’s the farewell. I’m talking about the national team. From a reliable source, it’s the ‘last dance’, the World Cup.”
Ronaldo bows out in style with rich World Cup history
If this is indeed Ronaldo’s farewell tournament in Portugal, he is making sure it is remembered for all the right reasons.Against Croatia, the 41-year-old converted a second-half penalty as Portugal secured a place in the Round of 16. In doing so, Ronaldo became the oldest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage history at 41 years and 147 days.surpassing the previous mark of Lionel Messi.His strike was also his first goal in a World Cup knockout match despite appearing in six editions of the tournament.The Portugal captain also moved up to second on the all-time list of oldest World Cup goalscorers, with Cameroon legend Roger Milla, who scored at 42 years and 39 days in 1994, remaining ahead of him.Before kicking off, Ronaldo had already created history by becoming the oldest outfield player to ever start a men’s FIFA World Cup knockout match. The milestone came just a day after Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Edin Dzeko held the record, while Croatia’s Luka Modric also started, making it the first World Cup match with two outfield players aged over 40 on opposite sides.Ronaldo’s appearance was also his 26th at the World Cup, leaving him just one behind Germany legend Lothar Matthäus and three behind all-time leader Lionel Messi.
“Feels like I’m retired”
Ronaldo’s latest heroics against Croatia completed a remarkable turnaround after he came under heavy criticism following Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw in DR Congo, where he failed to register a shot on target.The veteran forward responded with a brace against Uzbekistan before carrying that momentum into the knockout stage with another match-winning display against Croatia.Reflecting on his return to form after the game in Uzbekistan, Ronaldo said: “I know this. God helps those who work hard. It was a difficult, dark week. It seems that I have retired from football, but I continue as I always do because I believe in hard work more than in football. It’s hard, I have to confess, but we’re back.”He added: “Very happy, but for me the most important thing is the work done by the team and the confidence we have. We took a lot of hits during the week, we knew that would happen. The team worked hard and we improved a lot.”
Sister defends Portugal icon amid criticism
Ronaldo’s performances have sparked intense debate during the tournament, with reports even suggesting unrest within the Portugal camp following the opening draw.Aveiro earlier appeared to criticize some of Ronaldo’s teammates by liking a post on social media aimed at Bruno Fernandes, fueling speculation about tensions within the squad.However, he strongly defended his brother after his return to form.“For intelligent people, those who like football must like Ronaldo,” he said. “They’re the losers. He’s been tearing it up for 20 years.”With 232 international appearances and 146 goals for Portugal, Ronaldo now stands alone as men’s international football’s all-time leading goalscorer.