Ronaldo breaks World Cup knockout hoodoo with penalty equaliser as retirement talk swirls

Cristiano Ronaldo ended a career-long World Cup knockout drought on Sunday, converting a penalty to level for Portugal against Croatia in the round of 32 — his 146th international goal and his first in the knockout stages of the tournament across six appearances.

Ronaldo had never scored beyond the group stage in any of his previous five World Cups. That record fell when referee Espen Eskas, directed to the pitchside monitor by VAR, awarded Portugal a penalty after Nikola Vlasic brought down Renato Veiga in the area. Ronaldo had already claimed the ball before the decision was confirmed, and he made no mistake from the spot to cancel out Ivan Perisic’s opener for Croatia.

The goal arrived moments after Ronaldo had been denied by the narrowest of offside margins, having put the ball in the net only to see the flag raised against him.

The strike carries added weight given the retirement speculation that surrounded Portugal’s camp ahead of kick-off. Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, told Portuguese broadcaster SportTV that the 41-year-old’s international days are numbered.

“From the information I have, they can say goodbye,” Aveiro said. “Enjoy it while it lasts. It’s not today that they’re saying goodbye, but it’s soon. I believe this is their farewell.”

Aveiro was emphatic in her assessment of her brother’s legacy. “He’s been tearing it up for over 20 years,” she said. “Do they think we’re not happy? Look where we are, the Aveiro family, and where we came from. We’ve achieved so much, considering where we came from… the criticism will never interfere with our happiness.”

Ronaldo himself has not publicly confirmed any decision on his international future, and Portugal’s progress in the tournament means the question may not need answering just yet. What is no longer in doubt is that the former Real Madrid and Manchester United forward has finally written his name onto the World Cup knockout scoresheet — at the sixth attempt.