Ronaldo says this World Cup is his last as Portugal face Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo has said this World Cup will be his last, making Portugal’s last-16 meeting with Spain a possible closing chapter in one of international football’s longest careers. At 41, he enters the match with three goals at the tournament and the possibility of extending his run by at least one more round.

The Portugal captain’s international career spans 23 years, 232 appearances, 146 goals and six World Cups. His first Portugal appearance came as a half-time replacement for Luís Figo against Kazakhstan in Chaves; his next match could be against Spain in Arlington, Texas, in front of a far larger stage.

Ronaldo framed the moment with acceptance rather than regret, saying he felt he had given everything to football and did not see a World Cup title as the measure of his identity. He also pushed back at long-running criticism, using a dramatic metaphor about how he has been targeted throughout his career, while suggesting that scrutiny has helped make him stronger.

For Portugal, the emotional backdrop is clear but the competitive task is immediate: beat Spain and Ronaldo’s World Cup story continues. Lose, and the tournament may have witnessed the last World Cup match of a player whose international record has defined an era.