cristiano ronaldoThe Portugal legend’s remarkable international career may be about to enter its final chapter, with his sister Katia Aveiro revealing that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the “last dance” in national colors for the Portugal legend.The thrilling revelation came as Ronaldo continued to rewrite football history, inspiring Portugal to a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the last 32 while becoming the oldest player in history to score a goal. fifa world cup Knockout, and the oldest outfield player in the knockout round of the Men’s World Cup.Speaking outside Toronto Stadium ahead of Portugal’s knockout match, Aveiro said one of the greatest international careers in football history was coming to an end.“Based on the information I have, they can say goodbye,” she told Sports TV. “Not today, but I believe it’s a farewell. I’m talking about the national team. According to reliable sources, this is the ‘last dance’, the World Cup.”
Ronaldo exits with more World Cup history
If this is indeed Ronaldo’s farewell game with Portugal, he will ensure it is remembered for all the right reasons.The 41-year-old converted a second-half penalty against Croatia to seal Portugal’s place in the last 16. At 41 years and 147 days old, Cristiano Ronaldo became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the World Cup knockout rounds.surpassing Lionel Messi’s previous record.Despite playing in six World Cups, his goal was his first in a World Cup knockout round.The Portugal captain has also climbed to second place on the list of oldest World Cup goalscorers in history, with only Cameroon star Roger Milla, who scored in 1994 at 42 years and 39 days, remaining ahead of him.Before kick-off, Ronaldo had already made history by becoming the oldest outfield player ever to start in a men’s World Cup knockout round. The milestone came just a day after Bosnia and Herzegovina captain Edin Dzeko briefly held the record, while Croatian Luka Modric also started, making it the first time at the World Cup that two outfield players over the age of 40 have played against each other.This is also Ronaldo’s 26th World Cup appearance, only one behind German legend Lothar Matthäus and only three behind historical leader Messi.
“It feels like I’ve retired”
Ronaldo, who was heavily criticized after his shot failed to hit the target in Portugal’s opening 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, has recently produced a stunning comeback against Croatia.The veteran striker scored twice against Uzbekistan before taking that momentum into the knockout stages with another match-winning performance against Croatia.Looking back on his recovery after the Uzbekistan game, Ronaldo said: “I know this. God helps those who work hard. It has been a difficult, dark week. It feels like I have retired from football, but I persisted as always because I believe more in hard work than football.” I must admit, it was difficult, but we are back. “He added: “Very happy but the most important thing for me is the work the team did and the confidence we had. We took a lot of hits this week and we knew this was going to happen. The team worked really well and we improved a lot.”
Sister defends Portuguese icon amid criticism
Ronaldo’s performance sparked heated debate during the tournament, with reports even suggesting there was a riot in Portugal after the draw for the opening game.Aveiro earlier appeared to back criticism of some of Ronaldo’s team-mates, liking a social media post aimed at Bruno Fernandes, sparking speculation of tensions within the squad.However, she fiercely defended her brother after he returned to form.“For smart people, those who like football must like Ronaldo,” she said. “They’re the losers. He’s been tearing it up for over two decades.”With 232 international appearances and 146 goals for Portugal, Ronaldo has become the all-time top scorer in men’s international football.
