Cristiano Ronaldo admitted this World Cup will be his last and stressed he leaves with no regrets ahead of Portugal’s last-16 clash with neighbours Spain in Dallas on Monday.
The 41-year-old, playing at a record sixth World Cup, made the comment at the end of a press conference in which he insisted he would end his trophy-laden career on his own terms.
“Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won’t be my last match,” he said before departing to a round of applause from journalists.
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward had earlier refused to confirm the tournament would be his last, even though he will be 45 when the next tournament is played in 2030.
“I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one? We will see. I don’t want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow,” Ronaldo initially told reporters on Sunday.
“I’m going to be perfectly honest, regardless of what happens tomorrow, Cristiano is going to be 1000% leaving with a clear conscience.
“I have given all I could to football, it’s my passion to play for so many years. I didn’t do it out of need, I’m doing well out of life. It’s about passion. I play for the national team and I love to play football.
“Regardless of what happens tomorrow I’m not going to exert pressure on myself that I must win.
“You have to enjoy every match at a huge competition like the World Cup. I think I’m not doing so bad. I’ve scored three goals, others have done better but I think I’m doing not so bad.”
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A relaxed Ronaldo admitted to having enjoyed the current tournament more than his previous five World Cups and was confident Roberto Martinez’s side could prevail against a Spain side who have improved as the finals have progressed.
“If we didn’t have this belief we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “It’s been a beautiful experience, we’re getting better in every match.
“We know this is a tough competition and it’s impossible to always do well. Some good teams have been eliminated and that says everything. The team is well, calm and well prepared. We’re going to face a difficult team but I think we will be prepared.”
Ronaldo will be making his 233rd appearance for Portugal if he features against Spain, a nation he has a close connection to after spending nine seasons with Real.
His scoring record against Portugal’s Iberian neighbour, however, is limited with only four goals against the Spanish. That total includes a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw during the group phase of the 2018 World Cup.
“Spain is always a contender to win the Euros, the Nations League, they have already won this competition,” he said.
“Spain is the favourite. They have more titles than Portugal but this is a different competition with different players. There are injuries, there’s the heat.
“I like playing against Spain, my record is quite good. I’ve played them 10 or 11 times and it’s quite balanced. It will be won on small details. I have this feeling we are going to win.”