Ronaldo to Retire from International Football After 2026 World Cup, Says Sister Katia Aveiro

According to Katia Aveiro, Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister, the Portuguese captain will retire from international football following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Kathmandu, 3 July. On Friday morning, Ronaldo scored his first goal in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. Portugal defeated Croatia 2-1 with Ronaldo’s penalty goal and Goncalo Ramos’ injury-time strike, securing a place in the round of 16 and maintaining their chances of lifting the trophy. As Ronaldo extends his journey at the World Cup in North America, new information has emerged regarding his future.

Katia Aveiro revealed that Ronaldo will retire from international football after the FIFA World Cup in 2026. This announcement came from a family source following Portugal’s late victory over Croatia. Having made his World Cup debut in Germany in 2006, Ronaldo is now playing in his sixth consecutive tournament and has been active in international football for over two decades. The news of his impending retirement from his family has led many to believe it to be true.

“Enjoy this time, it will be over soon. According to a reliable source, this is his ‘last dance,’” Ronaldo’s sister told Sport TV during the live broadcast of the match. Ronaldo has played 246 international matches, scoring 146 goals. In his career, he has scored a total of 976 goals, nearing the milestone of 1,000 goals. With his goal against Croatia, Ronaldo now has 11 World Cup goals. In that match, he became the oldest outfield player to participate in a World Cup game and the oldest player to score in the knockout stages, at 41 years and 147 days old. The overall record for the oldest player to score in a World Cup belongs to Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who netted a goal against Russia at the 1994 tournament in the United States at 42 years and 39 days old.