Cristiano Ronaldo's sister, Katia Aveiro, has hinted that the Portugal forward is set to retire from international football following the conclusion of the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking to SportTV before Portugal's World Cup Round of 32 contest against Croatia, she said:
"I’m talking about the national team. The information I have, from a reliable source, I believe this is his last dance. It’s not today that he's saying goodbye, but it’s soon. I believe this is his farewell.
"Enjoy it a lot. It will be difficult to find someone like him," she added.
With Ronaldo set to lead the line for Portugal against Croatia in the early hours of Friday 3rd July, it will mark his 232nd appearance for the country, and potentially his last should Roberto Martinez's side fall to a catastrophic defeat in the World Cup Round of 32.
Leading the way with the most appearances in Portugal's history -- and by some distance -- few have lit up the international stage quite like Ronaldo.
The relentless record-breaker made his international debut as an 18-year-old substitute against Kazakhstan on 20th August 2003, while his first Portugal goal came in a 2–1 group stage loss to Greece in the 2004 European Championships.
Years went by in Ronaldo's international career and -- while his numbers left nothing to be desired -- within him was a glaring desire to win a major honour, and it's for that reason that his 2018 Euros triumph with Portugal will surely rank amongst his greatest honours when all is said and done.
The GOAT contender recorded six goal contributions on the way to the final -- where they would face France -- but a devastating state of affairs saw the forward replaced in the 25th minute of the game through injury.
Still, he made his presence felt on the touchline and Portugal would go on to win the game 1-0 via an extra time goal from Eder.
Ronaldo has since captained Portugal to two Nations League triumphs -- playing starring roles in both campaigns -- and so success at the 2026 World Cup would see the 41-year-old complete football on the international stage.
