No matter how many years it has been since Cristiano Ronaldo last played for Real Madrid, he will always be recognized as the greatest ever player in the history of the club and will have the utmost love from the Madridistas.
They are all cheering for him at this World Cup, and as he faces an elimination game against his old friend Luka Modric, with whom he won four Champions League titles together, Real Madrid fans are reaching the sinking feeling that the end is near.
In fact, Fabrizio Romano has relayed that his sister Katia has declared that this 2026 World Cup will be the last of Cristiano's career. Because after the World Cup is over, Cristiano Ronaldo, as many Real Madrid fans and fans around the world suspected, will be retiring at the end of the tournament from all of international football with Portugal.
Cristiano Ronaldo is nearing the end
Every game is a potential last for Ronaldo, and the same could be said for Luka Modric and Croatia. These two have taken their countries to great heights: Cristiano won the European Championship for Portugal in 2016 in historic feat, while Modric won the Ballon d'Or in 2018 when Croatia reached the World Cup Final against France.
There are people with short term memories who forget just what Cristiano has meant to Portugal. He has bridged two golden generations: the first with the likes of Deco and Luis Figo when they were contenders at Euro 2024 and the 2006 World Cup and then now with the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Nuno Mendes. And even in between when they won in 2016 over France, he played with Ricardo Quaresma, Pepe, Nani, and the others he came up with.
Real Madrid fans will always watch Cristiano's highlights over and over again at their own club, but also for Portugal. He won the Euros in 2016 as a Madridista, and while he will leave this 2026 World Cup as a star and league champion with Al-Nassr, he will always be a Madridista.
So Madridistas, enjoy the last ride of Cristiano in a Portugal uniform. He is officially their greatest ever World Cup player over another amazing footballer in Eusebio, and it is no coincidence that the best period in the history of Portuguese football over more than 20 years time has come with Cristiano as the main man. And yet how easily the talking heads would like to forget. But the streets? The streets never will.
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