Ronaldo says his last World Cup is over but Portugal decision can wait

Ronaldo says his last World Cup is over but Portugal decision can waitPortugal captain admits his team’s last-16 match against Spain was his last outing in the World Cup.Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s final World Cup ended with a Spanish sting in the tail, courtesy of Mikel Merino’s last-gasp winner that earned a 1-0 round-of-16 win, but he was unwilling to make a hasty call on his international future.Ronaldo told reporters in the mixed zone on Monday that Spain enjoyed “a bit of luck” to score through substitute Merino in the dying moments of a match he felt could have swung either way.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Balogun, Garrincha and Pinochet: FIFA’s controversial World Cup decisionslist 2 of 4‘If you win, it’s a stain’: Americans react to FIFA-Balogun controversylist 3 of 4‘Despicable woman’: Mbappe hits back at Paraguayan senator over racist tiradelist 4 of 4Ticket prices continue to fall for USA-Belgium World Cup last-16 clashend of list“I’m sad to be leaving the World Cup like this,” he said. “I gave it my all. I did my best, and I’m leaving with a clear conscience. It was my last World Cup, yes, but I’ll now have time to reflect and be with my family. I won’t be making any rash decisions.”Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts to a missed chance during the 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match between Portugal and Spain at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 6, 2026 [AFP]The 41-year-old stopped short of confirming whether he had played his final game for Portugal, saying he did not want a personal decision to overshadow the team’s campaign.“I don’t make decisions in the heat of the moment,” he said.Ronaldo, who helped Portugal win the 2016 European Championship plus the Nations League in 2019 and 2025, said he was proud of his contribution to the national team.“I’ve won three titles for Portugal; before Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal hadn’t won a single title,” he said.“The biggest title the national team has ever won was in 2016, the European Championship, which, to be honest, is just as significant to me as a World Cup.”