Cristiano Ronaldo Rubbishes Retirement Talk; Says 'Will Talk About it Later' Ahead of RO16 Clash vs Spain

FIFA World Cup 2026: There has been massive speculation around Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Portugal after his sister claimed that he will retire. Katia, Ronaldo's sister, made the claim while speaking on Sport TV. But after the win over Croatia in a Round of 32 game where Ronaldo scored a penalty, he said he is not interested in speaking about his future now. He said that he would speak it with his family once the tournament is over. 

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‘Will talk about it later’

“Retirement? Cristiano’s future is not what matters at this moment. I will talk about it later, and I will have enough time, whether after a win or a loss. I will speak with my family, and then make my decision in the way I see fit," Ronaldo told reporters. 

Following the win, Ronaldo will get another match in a Portugal uniform, thanks to a penalty he scored, a stoppage time header by Goncalo Ramos, and a VAR ruling the Croatia team still doesn’t understand.

Ramos headed in the winner as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a wild finish that also included a Croatian goal disallowed for offside just before the final whistle in a World Cup round of 32 match.

The game featured a matchup of 40-somethings — Ronaldo, in his sixth World Cup, and Croatia’s Luka Modrić, making his fifth bid for a tournament title.

Ronaldo tied things up in the 68th minute on a penalty kick that gave the megastar his first knockout stage goal at the World Cup before being subbed out in the 81st minute.

Portugal take on Spain on Monday in what promises to be a clash of the titans. Spotlight would once again be on Ronaldo.