Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has said he wants Ireland fans to boo him during Thursday’s World Cup qualifier in Dublin, suggesting that it could relieve pressure on his teammates as Portugal aims to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the 40-year-old forward, currently playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr, said:
“The stadium will boo me, I’m used to it, I certainly hope they do — maybe it will take the pressure off other players.”
Portugal leads Group F by five points with two matches remaining, and Ronaldo is aiming to play in a sixth World Cup next summer.
Ronaldo on Scoring Milestones
When asked about the possibility of scoring his 1000th career goal in a World Cup final, Ronaldo laughed:
“You’ve been watching too many movies, that would be too perfect. Getting back to reality, all this data makes me happy. A national team never depends on one player, but I like being able to make a difference with goals.”
Ronaldo, the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 goals, has scored 953 goals in his career so far.
Focus on Qualification, Not Retirement
Ronaldo acknowledged that the 2026 World Cup would likely be his last and said he expects to retire within a couple of years, but he preferred to focus on Portugal’s qualification campaign:
“There’s no point in being repetitive and losing focus. Portugal has another opportunity to be in another finals.”
He described Thursday’s match against Ireland as likely to be “difficult”, with the hosts expected to sit back and deny Portugal space.
With a mix of experience and scoring ability, Ronaldo remains central to Portugal’s ambitions of another World Cup appearance, even as he edges closer to the end of his illustrious career.
