The Round of 32 match between Portugal and Croatia meant a lot for many reasons, and one of them was that it could potentially have been Cristiano Ronaldo's final World Cup game of his career.
Portugal were not clear favorites against Croatia on July 2, and they were 1-0 down at one point. Portugal came back, though, and Ronaldo scored the equalizer on a penalty kick in route to a 2-1 victory.
Ronaldo and Portugal will play in the Round of 16 against Spain next week, but one of the biggest talking points before the match against Croatia was about the soccer star's future.
Reports from Spain suggested that Ronaldo's sister, Katia Aveiro, revealed that the 2026 World Cup would be the striker's last with the Portugal national team.
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Cristiano Ronaldo on Retiring From the Portugal National Team
Photo by Cole Burston / AFP via Getty Images
After the win over Croatia, Ronaldo was asked about his future with the Portuguese national team following Aveiro's comments suggesting that the striker would retire from the national team after the 2026 World Cup.
Ronaldo did not hint whether his sister's statement is true, and is only focused on what is ahead, which is the Spain game in the Round of 16.
Ronaldo said, "Keep supporting the national team as you always have, and take it one match at a time. Cristiano’s future isn’t important right now. I’ll speak with my family first, and then I’ll make a decision. I no longer make decisions impulsively (in the heat of the moment). Now it’s time to rest and prepare for the next match."
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Portugal vs. Spain will be played on July 6 at Dallas Stadium. The winner of that Round of 16 match will play the winner of the USA vs. Belgium match in a quarterfinal match, which will be played on July 10 at Los Angeles Stadium.
Ronaldo has registered 3 goals through Portugal's first four matches of the 2026 tournament, bringing his World Cup career total to 11.
The question remains whether Ronaldo will continue to suit up for Al Nassr after the World Cup's conclusion.
