Ronaldo on retirement talks: "I'll stop when I want" ahead of Portugal vs Spain in October 2026 World Cup
In the last presscon before Portugal-Spain in Octabo of the World Cup 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo insisted that he will decide when he will stop and the whole team is focused on tomorrow's match.
Before the big clash between Portugal and Spain in the Octabos of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo faced the media and once again dismissed the question of his retirement. When asked about his future with the national team, the captain's response was firm: "I always give everything for the country. Whether I play or not, I have a role to play. I will stop when I want to, not when you guys want to."
Ronaldo added, it's just a waste of time on repeated issues and he doesn't want the attention to go there. "That's not what's important today. The most important thing is tomorrow," said the former Juventus striker, insisting the focus is on the knockout against fierce rivals Spain.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://tmw-storage-auto.tcccdn.com/storage/tuttomercatoweb.com/img_notizie/thumb3/fc/fcd7788d5b542f99dee8264a9e3a9111-94995-oooz0000.jpeg" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>Regarding Portugal's chances of advancing, CR7's message was clear: "If we don't think we can be World Champions, we're not here." He said their game is getting better every match and it's the nature of such a big tournament that not all games can be perfect—proof that many strong teams have gone home early.
Ronaldo also pointed out that the whole group is calm and their preparation is good. "We have trained well, our preparation is good. Tomorrow we will face a very difficult team, but we are ready," said Ronaldo.
Portugal will be chasing a ticket to the next stage, while Spain—champions of the last European Championship—will face one of the most formidable cards in the tournament. Amidst it all, their captain's direction was clear: focus on the match, not the retirement talk.
