FIFA World Cup 2026: Cristiano Ronaldo Receives Heartfelt Message From Mother Ahead Of Portugal vs Spain Clash

Ahead of his side's FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match against Spain, Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo received a heartwarming message from his mother, Maria.

Portugal head into the clash after a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Round of 32, with Goncalo Ramos scoring a stoppage-time winner to keep their title hopes alive.

"Good luck to our national team, we are together, " Maria wrote in an Instagram post.

Roberto Martinez's side are chasing back-to-back FIFA World Cup quarter-final appearances for the first time in the nation's history, although they have not won successive World Cup knockout matches since 2006.

Standing in their way is a Spain side that has impressed throughout the tournament. Luis de la Fuente's men stormed into the Round of 16 with a commanding 3-0 win over Austria and became the first team since Germany in the 2014 World Cup final to prevent their opponents from registering a single shot on target in a knockout match.

The Iberian rivals last met at the World Cup in 2018, when Ronaldo scored a memorable hat-trick in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Portugal will now hope their captain can produce another decisive performance and extend his farewell World Cup journey by at least one more match.