Portugal's football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, has hinted at his retirement from the World Cup stage.

During a press conference held in Dallas, Texas, on July 5 (local time), one day before the 2026 North and Central America World Cup Round of 16 match against Spain, Ronaldo said, "I am trying to enjoy the fact that this will be my last World Cup." He added, "I hope tomorrow will not be my last World Cup match, and that, God willing, we will continue to move forward."

This is not the first time Ronaldo has hinted at his World Cup retirement in public.

Having surpassed the age of 40 to compete in his sixth World Cup finals, he will be 45 by the time the next tournament is held four years from now.

When asked about his retirement plans, Ronaldo responded with composure, jokingly remarking, "The media is rushing my retirement," before continuing with a calm tone.

"I lack nothing. God has been very generous to me, and he has given me everything I never expected, especially with the national team," he said.

He added calmly, "Winning the World Cup would not make me more or less of a Cristiano. I just enjoy every day."

Ronaldo is demonstrating that he is still a force to be reckoned with, having scored 3 goals in the group stage of this tournament to bring his total World Cup tally to 11 goals.

However, it is difficult to avoid criticism that his performance is not as overwhelming as it once was.

In particular, he has faced cold criticism as he is compared to his rival Lionel Messi (Argentina, 20 goals in total World Cup appearances), who is currently tied for the lead in scoring with 7 goals.

Ronaldo stated, "Throughout my career, I have realized that I am not the same player I used to be, and I have adapted to the nuances that come with age." He continued, "But the fact remains that I can still score goals. I hope to score tomorrow, and if I cannot, I hope my teammates will."

He further added, "There may be other opinions about me, but I don't think I am doing that badly. Didn't I score 3 goals?" He noted, "Of course, there are players who have done incredibly well and scored more, but I am not doing bad either. We must keep going."

Spain, Portugal's opponent in the Round of 16, is the team against which Ronaldo recorded the oldest hat-trick in World Cup history during the group stage of the 2018 Russia tournament (a 3-3 draw) when he was 33.

Portugal is aiming to defeat Spain and advance to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive time.

The best result for Portugal in the Ronaldo era remains the semifinals in 2006, which was his debut tournament.

Regarding the Round of 16 match against the "Invincible Armada" Spain, Ronaldo expressed deep caution.

"Spain is a team gifted with immense talent, and they are very, very good. Since 2004, Spain has always been a favorite to win," he assessed.

He emphasized, "Tomorrow will be a battle, a very tough battle. All we have to do is have strong faith, run, and be brave. Honestly, that is the only way to beat Spain."

Meanwhile, despite the tension ahead of the Round of 16 match, Ronaldo showed a relaxed demeanor, even sharing jokes during the press conference.

He shared an anecdote about meeting an Argentine flight attendant on a plane the previous day, saying, "I knew she was Argentine just by the way she looked at me. I joked, 'You don't like Cristiano, do you, since you looked away immediately?'"

He added, "My wife (Georgina Rodriguez) is also Argentine, and I have a special love for Argentina, especially Buenos Aires."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)