Ronaldo says this will be his last World Cup before Portugal face Spain

DALLAS: Cristiano Ronaldo said the ongoing World Cup will be the last of his career as Portugal prepare to meet Spain in their last-16 match on Monday, adding that he will leave the game with no regrets.

The 41-year-old Portugal captain, appearing at a record sixth World Cup, made the remark at the end of a press conference on Sunday after initially declining to confirm whether this tournament would be his final one. He said he would bring his career to a close on his own terms.

Ronaldo told reporters:

"Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won't be my last match"

Earlier in the same media appearance, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward had said: I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one? We will see. I don't want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow. He also said he would leave with a clear conscience regardless of the result against Spain, stressing that he had given everything he could to football and that his long career had been driven by passion rather than financial need.

Ronaldo said he was not putting pressure on himself to win and added that major tournaments should be enjoyed. He noted that he had scored three goals in the competition and said he felt he was doing well, even if others had done better.

Confidence before Spain test

Ronaldo also described himself as relaxed and said he had enjoyed this World Cup more than his previous five appearances. He said Portugal had grown stronger with each game and were ready for a difficult meeting with a Spain side he said had improved as the tournament progressed.

He said Portugal's belief was essential to their presence at this stage of the competition and added that the squad was calm, in good condition and well prepared. Ronaldo also pointed to the unpredictable nature of the tournament, saying the elimination of strong teams showed how demanding the World Cup can be.

If selected, Ronaldo will make his 233rd appearance for Portugal against a country with which he has strong ties after spending nine seasons at Real Madrid. However, his scoring return against Spain has been modest, with four goals, including a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.

Ronaldo described Spain as regular contenders for major honours including the Euros and the Nations League, and noted that they had already won the World Cup. He said Spain were the favourites because they have more titles than Portugal, but added that this was a different tournament with different players and that factors such as injuries and the heat could influence the outcome. He also said his meetings with Spain had been fairly even over 10 or 11 matches and that he had a feeling Portugal would win.