Ronaldo won't make rash call on Portugal future
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- Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed the 2026 World Cup was his final World Cup after Portugal fell 1-0 to Spain in the last 16, with Mikel Merino's stoppage-time winner in Dallas ending his career-long chase for the trophy.
- The 41-year-old Ronaldo said he won't make "rash decisions" on his international future, needs time to reflect with his family, and won't decide "in the heat of the moment."
- Ronaldo noted he spent 23 years with the national team and won three titles, telling reporters: "Before Cristiano, Portugal had not won anything" — and equating Euro 2016 with winning a World Cup.
- Roberto Martinez confirmed he is stepping down as Portugal manager after the loss, saying "without winning [the World Cup], there's no point in continuing" and that his contract ends today.
- Martinez praised Ronaldo as an "exemplary captain" and "a soccer icon," but offered no hint of Ronaldo's thinking: "This is not the moment to look beyond what we're talking about."
- Ronaldo will be 43 by the next major tournament — the 2028 European Championships in the UK & Ireland — leaving the timeline for any farewell appearance tight.
Why it matters: Portugal now face a structural reset on both touchlines: their manager has already departed and their all-time captain is undecided, with the next benchmark — Euro 2028 in the UK & Ireland — three years away when Ronaldo would be 43. Whoever the federation appoints next inherits the immediate task of deciding Ronaldo's role versus pivoting to the post-Ronaldo generation.
