Cristiano Ronaldo could be playing his final World Cup game in tonight’s Round of 32 meeting between Portugal and Croatia.

The legendary forward’s sister, Katia Aveiro, has dropped a massive bombshell about the 41-year-old’s plans once his World Cup campaign ends. He is captaining Portugal and looking to finally win the one trophy that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career.

Ronaldo remains a starter for his nation and has played every minute of his team’s tournament thus far. He scored a brace in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan amid criticism over his starting role in Roberto Martinez’s frontline.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Sister Drops Retirement Bombshell

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There had been an expectation that this would be Ronaldo’s last World Cup campaign given his age. Some speculate that he may be enticed to continue playing international football until 2030 because the tournament is co-hosted by Portugal.

Ronaldo’s sister has claimed that the Al-Nassr striker will be closing the book on his international career. Aveiro told Portuguese outlet SPORT TV: “We have to enjoy these moments. It’s the last dance for two players, both for Croatia and for Portugal. The most important thing is to enjoy these 20-odd years that we’ve lived, won, and come so far.”

Aveiro added when asked about seeing him potentially captain his nation at Euro 2028:

Ronaldo is the greatest goalscorer in football history and is Portugal’s all-time top goalscorer. He has bagged 145 goals in 231 games for his country and won his first major trophy, the European Championship, back in 2016.

The former Manchester United star has yet to win the World Cup and watched longtime rival Lionel Messi lift the trophy in 2022. The closest he has come to doing so was in 2006 when his nation reached the semi-finals.

REUTERS/Darren Staples

Should Ronaldo announce his retirement from international football, his sole focus will be on club football with Al-Nassr. The Portuguese hero signed a record-breaking new two-year contract with the Saudi giants in June 2025.

The Real Madrid icon previously vowed to continue playing football until he reaches 1000 goals. He said back in June:

Ronaldo currently sits on 969 goals for club and country, which could mean he’ll look to use his last season to try and reach the 1000 milestone. He has enjoyed an incredible career, which includes winning five Champions League trophies and rivalling Messi for the Ballon d’Or and in El Clásico.

Spain eased into the last 16 of the World Cup with a comfortable 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles, goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro doing the damage as Luis de la Fuente’s side finally found the fluency that had eluded them for much of the group stage.

Ralf Rangnick’s Austria, appearing in their first World Cup knockout tie since 1954, gave a spirited account of themselves without ever truly threatening an upset, and Spain now turn their attention to a round of 16 clash against either Portugal or Croatia.

Spain took the lead in the 38th minute when Marc Cucurella picked out Mikel Oyarzabal inside the box, and the forward made no mistake in guiding a composed finish beyond Alexander Schlager. Austria pushed for an equaliser without ever really testing Unai Simon, before Pedro Porro’s header and Oyarzabal’s tap-in put the game out of reach.

Spain Player Ratings

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Marc Cucurella was one of the standout performers for La Roja, grabbing two assists and being a constant menace down the left throughout.

Oyarzabal and Porro took their chances well when they arrived, while Alex Baena caught the eye with his energy and the assist for the second goal. Lamine Yamal had flashes of brilliance without quite hitting his ceiling, nutmegging Austrians at will, and Spain’s defence was rarely troubled behind a dominant midfield. Off the bench, Mikel Merino added fresh legs late on to help Spain see out the closing stages with minimal alarm.

Austria Player Ratings

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Marcel Sabitzer was the standout performer among those who weren’t wearing a Spain shirt. He was a constant source of quality deliveries from the left and the architect of Austria’s most dangerous moments throughout.

Sasa Kalajdzic almost snatched a goal within seconds of coming on, glancing a header narrowly over the bar from a Sabitzer cross, and Austria can leave the tournament with their heads held high after reaching the knockout stages in a World Cup for the first time since 1954.

Cucurella and Oyarzabal Combine To Break The Deadlock

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Spain were the dominant force for the best part of 40 minutes without ever really threatening, before Cucurella’s quality finally told. The left-back did the legwork down the flank, picking out Oyarzabal inside the box, and the forward guided it beyond Schlager to break Austria’s resistance. It could have been more before that, with Cucurella having a strike ruled out for interference on the Austrian goalkeeper when we reacted fast to a loose ball following a corner.

Pedro Porro’s First International Goal

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Spain put the game to bed midway through the second half, when Cucurella again started the move, feeding Baena on the left, and the Villarreal man put in a cross for Porro to head home his first international goal. Kalajdzic almost pulled one back moments later, but Austria’s resistance ultimately broke, with de la Fuente’s substitutions helping Spain see out the closing stages in complete control.

American streaming sensation IShowSpeed is risking a breach of his own rule in his attempt to watch Cristiano Ronaldo in action.

Ronaldo is set to captain Portugal in tonight’s World Cup Round of 32 clash against Croatia at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada. Speed has attended and streamed games throughout the tournament.

The YouTuber is a Ronaldo superfan and has followed the former Manchester United star around the globe, including watching him play for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. He had been looking to attend Portugal’s meeting with Croatia but his plans have been thrown into jeopardy.

Speed Had Sworn Not to Visit Canada

Speed sent out an urgent message on X after his plane to Canada was cancelled. He wrote to his followers: “Who has a jet or plane in san francisco???? i need to get to toronto my plane got cancelled and now i can’t see ronaldo play this is so bad please helpppppoppp.”

Should the 21-year-old manage to board a flight to Toronto, he’ll be visiting the country for the first time. He previously swore to never visit Canada due to a family grievance.

Back in May 2025, Speed revealed that his grandfather had been killed by a Canadian. He told his fans on a livestream:

Speed plans to livestream Portugal’s encounter with Croatia on his YouTube channel. The stream is set to go live one hour before kick off and he’s in a rush to get to the stadium in time due to his flight being cancelled.

The popular streamer has already attended several World Cup games held in the USA. He has embarked on a tour in collaboration with FIFA and even met with president Gianni Infantino ahead of the tournament co-hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Speed Predicted World Cup Glory For Ronaldo

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Ronaldo has yet to win a World Cup during his illustrious career and it’s the one trophy evading his glistening trophy cabinet. This is likely his last chance to do so as he is now 41 and will be 45 when the tournament is co-hosted by Portugal in 2030.

Speed vowed to attend as many games as possible including every Portugal game to watch the five-time Ballon d’Or winner. He told FOX Sports: “The World Cup is in America, right? So, I can be anywhere. Obviously, I’m pulling up to every game, every Portugal game.”

Speed backed Ronaldo to finally become a world champion after he captained Portugal to the UEFA Nations League in June 2025:

If Portugal beat Croatia, they will face Spain, who beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 earlier in the day. Should Roberto Martinez’s team advance to the quarter-finals, they could face the USA, posing a massive dilemma for Speed given his admiration for Ronaldo.