Kátia Aveiro did not choose just any moment to speak. Hours before Portugal faced Croatia in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo’s older sister dropped the phrase that set social media ablaze: “it’s the last dance”. According to her, a reliable source confirmed to her that her 41-year-old brother will leave the national team when the tournament ends.
Neither Cristiano nor the Portuguese Federation confirmed anything. But he took the field at BMO Field in Toronto and answered the only way he knows how: he scored from the penalty spot and became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout stage, surpassing Pepe’s record. Portugal won 2-1, and Ronaldo left the field in the 81st minute to applause.
With 232 matches and 145 goals, he is Portugal’s greatest historical icon. If this really is a farewell, he is writing it himself, goal by goal.