Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo announced that he will not return to participate in the seventh edition of the World Cup finals, following his country’s exit from the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup at the hands of Spain.

Ronaldo confirmed that he would play his final match in the World Cup after Portugal was eliminated by Spain in Dallas.

He added in statements to the “Sports TV” network after the match: “I am fine, and sad to leave the World Cup in this way. But, as I said yesterday in the press conference, I gave my best and I leave with a clear conscience.”

The captain of the Portuguese national team explained in statements reported by the official website of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA): “This is the life of a football player. Sometimes we win and other times we lose and we have to move forward. The truth is that it was my last tournament in the World Cup, and now I will spend some time with my family so that I do not make decisions in a moment of emotion.”

The Portuguese star continued, “I will wake up tomorrow with a clear conscience. I have won three titles for Portugal, the European Nations Championship title and two European Nations League titles. Before Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal had not won any titles at all. Therefore, I leave with a clear conscience after giving everything I have. Tomorrow will be a new day, and life goes on.”

The 41-year-old player participated for the first time in the 2006 World Cup in Germany, scoring his first goal in the tournament against Iran, and helping his country reach the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.
He then continued to play and score in the World Cup in South Africa 2010, Brazil 2014, Russia 2018, and Qatar 2022.

The Portuguese striker made history in his country’s second match in the 2026 World Cup when he became the first player to score in 6 different versions of the World Cup, with his goal against Uzbekistan. Ronaldo also played 27 matches in the World Cup, which places him in second place on the list of players with the most participation in history, scoring 11 goals during his career in the World Cup.