Cristiano Ronaldo says he hopes Ireland fans will boo him when Portugal face the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Thursday, believing it could help relieve pressure on his teammates as they look to seal qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Portugal will confirm their place at next summer’s finals with a win, as they lead Group F by five points with two matches remaining.
“The stadium will boo me, I’m used to it, I certainly hope they do – maybe it will take the pressure off other players,” Ronaldo told reporters on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old forward, aiming to appear in his sixth World Cup, expects a tough game against Ireland’s defensive setup. “It will be a difficult match; they will sit back and make things hard for us,” he said.
Currently playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has scored 953 career goals and remains the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer with 143.
When asked about the possibility of scoring his 1000th goal in a World Cup final, Ronaldo laughed it off. “You’ve been watching too many movies – that would be too perfect,” he joked. “A national team never depends on one player, but I like to make a difference with goals. That’s my job. I want to play in the next World Cup, otherwise I wouldn’t be here, but let’s take it step by step.”
Ronaldo has previously hinted that the 2026 World Cup will likely be his last and that he expects to retire in the coming years. However, he insisted now is not the time to focus on his future.
“There’s no point in being repetitive and losing focus,” he added. “Maybe later I’ll speak more clearly about what I think for the future, but for now Portugal has another opportunity to be in another finals.”
