Ronaldo defers retirement call until after World Cup as 2030 appearance stays on the table

Cristiano Ronaldo will not make any decision on his international future until Portugal’s 2026 World Cup campaign is over, the forward confirmed after his side edged Croatia 2-1 at Toronto Stadium to advance to the Round of 16.

“I don’t make reckless decisions,” Ronaldo said post-match. “I will decide after the tournament, not now.”

The statement leaves open the possibility of Ronaldo continuing beyond this tournament — and potentially into the 2030 World Cup. In June, Ronaldo told Fabrizio Romano he had “not ruled out” featuring in that edition, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Morocco, and his native Portugal. Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has gone further, publicly backing his captain to compete in a record-extending seventh World Cup.

“No one should doubt that,” Martinez told Cadena Ser radio. “He’s earned it.”

Should Ronaldo line up at the 2030 tournament, he would be 45 years old — the same age at which Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary set the record as the oldest player ever to appear at a FIFA World Cup. Ronaldo would be chasing that mark outright.

The 2030 edition carries additional symbolic weight: it marks the 100th anniversary of the first World Cup, held in Uruguay in 1930, and FIFA has confirmed the tournament will span three continents across Morocco, Portugal, and Spain. The prospect of Ronaldo playing a World Cup on home soil adds a layer of motivation that Martinez clearly believes should not be dismissed.

At club level, Ronaldo remains contracted to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr through June 2027, meaning his immediate playing future is already secured regardless of what he decides on the international stage.

Portugal’s next assignment is a Round of 16 tie against Spain, a match that will do much to shape the conversation around Ronaldo’s tournament — and, ultimately, his international legacy.