Cristiano Ronaldo will not consider his future until after his World Cup campaign. The Portugal icon, who scored as his team progressed past Croatia, was responding to speculation over his future after his sister suggested the clash could be his final outing on the international stage.
Portugal scraped past Croatia following a late goal from Goncalo Ramos, after their opponents were denied an even later equaliser from Josko Gvardiol, whose effort was ruled out by VAR. Ronaldo could only watch on from the sidelines after being substituted, but joined in on poignant celebrations by paying tribute to Diogo Jota.
After the game, attention quickly turned to his future. It is not something the 41-year-old is concerned with at the moment as his side now prepare to face Spain.
“It is not important now,” he said after picking up the Superior Player of the Match award, reports Goal. “I will have time to talk about that after winning or losing the tournament; I will talk to my family and then I will make the most appropriate decision.”
He added: “I no longer make decisions in the heat of the moment; now everything is done calmly. All that matters to me at the moment is enjoying the present and helping the national team.”
With former team-mate Luka Modric’s World Cup over, and his international career likely to end, Ronaldo had a message for the ex-Real Madrid midfielder. “Yes, I said goodbye to him,” he said.
“He remains a legend in the world of football, and we are close in age. I have great respect for Modrić for what he represents in the world of football.”
Ahead of Portugal’s clash against Croatia, Ronaldo’s sister, Katie Aveiro, suggested it could be the end of the former Real Madrid star’s international career
“From the information I have, they can say goodbye,” Aveiro told Portuguese broadcaster SportTV ahead of kick-off
“Enjoy it while it lasts. It’s not today that they’re saying goodbye, but it’s soon. I believe this is their farewell. Enjoy it a lot. It will be difficult to find someone like him.
View 2 ImagesCristiano Ronaldo scored his first-ever goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup(Image: Patrick Smith – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
“I’m talking about the national team. The information I have, from a reliable source, I believe this is his last dance.
“For intelligent people, those who like football have to like Ronaldo. Those who don’t like Ronaldo don’t like football. They’re the ones who lose out.
“He’s been tearing it up for over 20 years. Do they think we’re not happy? Look where we are, the Aveiro family, and where we came from.
“We’ve achieved so much, considering where we came from… after the struggle we went through, what my brother went through, the achievements my mother had… Do they think the criticism will interfere with our happiness? Never.”
Article continues below
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
from £4.50SkyGet the deal here
Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.