Ronaldo has confirmed that this World Cup will be his last, after becoming the first player in history to score at six different World Cup Finals.
It comes as no surprise given he’s 41 years old, but as the tournament progresses, the reality that every game could be his last on the World Cup stage grows greater and greater.
Portugal’s hopes of progressing are dampened by the Opta supercomputer, which has given them only a 25.6 per cent chance of beating Spain inside 90 minutes.
Spain are unbeaten in their last 14 international matches, with their last defeat coming via penalties in the Nations League final against Portugal. Ronaldo scored the equaliser to take the game to extra time and then penalties, before dispatching his spot kick perfectly.
In the World Cup, the pair’s last meeting was the 3-3 spectacle in Sochi, Russia, 2018. Ronaldo scored a hat-trick, scoring three goals from three shots on goal.
Ronaldo has scored 146 goals for Portugal in 232 matches, making him their record goal scorer and appearance maker. His goal against Croatia in the round of 32 made him the second-oldest goal scorer in World Cup history.
