Ronaldo embraces twilight of career before Spain test

DALLAS: Cristiano Ronaldo said on Sunday that the ongoing World Cup will be the last of his career, while adding that he hopes Portugal’s round-of-16 meeting with Spain will not be his final match in the tournament.

The 41-year-old forward, appearing in a record sixth World Cup, made the remark at the close of a press conference ahead of Monday’s game. Ronaldo first declined to state plainly that this would be his final World Cup, stressing instead that he would decide himself when to end his career.

He told reporters that he would retire on his own terms and said he would leave football with no regrets. Ronaldo said he had given everything he could to the sport and that his motivation had come from passion rather than necessity. He also said he was not putting pressure on himself to win at all costs and wanted to enjoy each match at a tournament of this scale.

"Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won’t be my last match," he said.

Ronaldo also said he had enjoyed this tournament more than any of his previous five World Cups. He added that Portugal had improved with each game and said the squad was calm, prepared and aware of the difficulty of the challenge ahead. According to Ronaldo, the team would not have reached this stage without belief in its chances.

Portugal are due to face a Spain side Ronaldo described as one of the favourites. He noted that Spain have won more titles than Portugal, while adding that knockout football can turn on fine margins, injuries and conditions such as the heat. He said he enjoys playing against Spain and believes the contest will be decided by small details.

If selected on Monday, Ronaldo will make his 233rd appearance for Portugal. He has a longstanding connection with Spain after spending nine seasons at Real Madrid, though his scoring return against the national side is relatively modest, with four goals. That tally includes the hat-trick he scored in Portugal’s 3-3 draw with Spain during the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.

Ronaldo said he has scored three goals at the current tournament and, while some players have done better, he believes his own form has been solid. He also said he felt Portugal would be ready for the challenge and expressed confidence that his side could come through the tie.