Ronaldo played his last Soccer World Championship. Will the Portuguese end his national team career?

Yesterday's defeat of the Portuguese team by Spain in the 1/8 finals of the World Cup with a score of 0:1 marked an early exit from the tournament for the team. But along with the team's failure, it seems, an entire era has come to an end. Cristiano Ronaldo publicly announced before the game that this World Cup would be his last in his career. And, to the great regret of millions of fans, the great forward did not manage to leave beautifully with the coveted cup in his hands.

Now the main question is: will we see the 41-year-old striker in the national team again? After all, there are upcoming Nations League matches and the distant, but theoretically possible Euro-2028, where his experience could still be useful. In this article, we will weigh all the pros and cons to understand whether Cristiano is ready to say goodbye to the national team for good or we are waiting for another chapter in the great story.

How Ronaldo performed at the 2026 World Cup

The current World Cup turned out to be quite contradictory for Cristiano.

Ronaldo's statistics at the World Cup:

• Matches — 4.
• Goals — 3 (one from a penalty).
• Minutes on the field — 351.
• Percentage of accurate passes — 65%.
• Yellow and red cards —  0.
• Successful dribbles — one.
• Important achievement: Ronaldo became the first and so far the only footballer in history who managed to score in six different World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).

Yes, it's foolish to deny that Cristiano leaves the tournament as the top scorer of the Portuguese team. But if we look truth in the face, at 41, the great forward looked a bit detached from the team's actions. At times, he simply lacked his former sharpness, and sometimes it seemed that his teammates deliberately ignored his openings, preferring to play the ball without the captain's participation. And if against average opponents his class still yielded results, then matches with real tops — Colombia in the group and Spain in the playoffs — Ronaldo frankly failed (as, in fact, did the whole team).

What Ronaldo said after the exit

Ronaldo teared up after Portugal's exit from the World Cup, although he held back for a few minutes immediately after the final whistle. In a conversation with journalists, the 41-year-old footballer explained his emotions:

"Tears after the match? These were emotions, but also relief and the realization that a person who gives all his strength cannot blame himself for anything".

Then Cris answered the question of whether he will continue his career in the national team:

"I don't make decisions in the heat of the moment and I don't want to shift the focus from what the team did at this World Cup to some of my personal decisions".

So will Ronaldo stay in the national team?

We believe that even Cristiano himself does not know the exact answer at this moment. After the bitter exit fromThe Spaniards need time. And Ronaldo is absolutely right to take time to think. So the situation is really 50/50. We won't be surprised if the Portuguese decides to stay.

If we look at the issue from an objective point of view, there may be two answers. Cristiano should either finally end his career in the national team, or stay, but accept the status of a substitute.

It sounds strange, yes. But the 41-year-old legend needs to come to terms with the fact that no one can outrun age. Portugal has enough forwards to whom CrisRo could provide mental support and substitute them for the last 20-30 minutes of the match. In this sense, Ronaldo could well make it to the European Championship in 2028. Why not?

Ronaldo's records and achievements with the Portugal national team

Regardless, Ronaldo is one of the main legends of the national team, and his records have largely rewritten the history of national football. No one will deny this. We just remind you of what Cristiano has achieved in the Portugal jersey:

• Most matches for the national team. Ronaldo holds the absolute record for the number of games for Portugal: he has 233 matches to his credit.
• Best scorer in the history of national teams. He has scored 146 goals for the national team - this is a world record.
• The first player in history to score in six World Cups. Ronaldo scored at the World Cups in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, and 2026. Exactly 20 years passed between his first and last goal at the World Cups - another unique indicator.
• The first European with 100+ goals for the national team. Ronaldo was the first European to overcome this mark and remains the only one with such a result.
• Best scorer in the history of the European Championships. He has 14 goals in the final stages of the Euros - an absolute tournament record.
• European Champion 2016. The victory at Euro-2016 is Ronaldo's main team achievement with the national team.
• Winner of the UEFA Nations League 2019 and 2025.