DALLAS — Cristiano Ronaldo made clear Sunday that he plans to leave football without any regrets, but he was not ready to confirm that the current World Cup would mark his final appearance on the international stage. Portugal faces neighboring Spain in a round-of-16 showdown in Dallas on Monday.
The 41-year-old, who is competing at a record sixth World Cup, acknowledged that many expect him to step away from international play before the next tournament, but he was firm that the decision would be his alone.
“I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one? We will see. I don’t want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow,” Ronaldo told reporters.
He went on to speak about his relationship with the sport: “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. I didn’t do it out of need, I’m doing well out of life. It’s about passion. I play for the national team and I love to play football.”
Ronaldo also pushed back against any notion that he feels pressure heading into the knockout match. “Regardless of what happens tomorrow I’m not going to exert pressure on myself that I must win. You have to enjoy every match at a huge competition like the World Cup. I think I’m not doing so bad. I’ve scored three goals, others have done better but I think I’m doing not so bad.”
Those who watched Ronaldo’s pre-match press conference noted a noticeably relaxed demeanor. He admitted this tournament has been more enjoyable for him than his previous five World Cup appearances and expressed confidence that manager Roberto Martinez’s squad is ready for the challenge ahead.
“If we didn’t have this belief we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “It’s been a beautiful experience, we’re getting better in every match. We know this is a tough competition and it’s impossible to always do well. Some good teams have been eliminated and that says everything. The team is well, calm and well prepared. We’re going to face a difficult team but I think we will be prepared.”
Should he take the field against Spain, it will be Ronaldo’s 233rd cap for Portugal. He has a deep personal connection to Spain, having spent nine seasons with Real Madrid before later moving to Manchester United. Despite that familiarity, his scoring record against the Spanish national side is modest — just four goals total, including a famous hat-trick in a 3-3 group-stage draw at the 2018 World Cup.
Ronaldo acknowledged Spain’s pedigree heading into the match. “Spain is always a contender to win the Euros, the Nations League, they have already won this competition. Spain is the favourite. They have more titles than Portugal but this is a different competition with different players. There are injuries, there’s the heat.”
Still, he expressed quiet confidence heading into the contest. “I like playing against Spain, my record is quite good. I’ve played them 10 or 11 times and it’s quite balanced. It will be won on small details. I have this feeling we are going to win.”
He closed with a message that left his international future deliberately open-ended: “What I have to do is enjoy it if it’s my last World Cup and it’s not going to be my last match at a World Cup because I want to continue onward.”
