World Cup 2026, comes Cristiano Ronaldo's announcement

The 2026 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will be the last in Cristiano Ronaldo’s career, provided that Portugal’s qualification (in any case highly likely with two days to go) is confirmed. This was said by the champion himself currently at Al-Nassr, during an event in Riyadh at which CR7 spoke via video link.

Cristiano Ronaldo&#8217s announcement came in response to a specific question: “Next year I&#8217ll be 41 years old– said the five-time Ballon d’Or -. It will definitely be my last participation in the World Cup”. Portugal, engaged in Group F of the European qualifiers, could already be certain of its presence by beating Ireland’on Nov. 13.

CR7 has already been part of his national team’s squad in five World Cups, as have Mexico’s Antonio Carbajal, Andres Guardado, Rafa Marquez and Guillermo Ochoa, Germany’s Lothar Matthäus, Argentina’s Leo Messi and Italy’s Gigi Buffon. Ronaldo has collected 22 World Cup appearances, fewer only than Messi (26), Matthäus (25), Klose (24 for Germany) and Paolo Maldini (23 for Italy).

Despite its presence, however, Portugal has never gone beyond fourth place, achieved at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. In fact, in 2010 and 2018 it was eliminated in the round of 16, in 2014 even after the group stage, and in 2022 in the quarterfinals, overtaken by surprising Morocco, which would then finish the review in fourth place.