Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has said he expects Ireland fans to boo him during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier in Dublin on Thursday — and he welcomes it.
Portugal needs just one more win to confirm their spot in the 2026 World Cup finals, and Ronaldo believes the Irish crowd’s attention could ease the pressure on his teammates.
“The stadium will boo me, I’m used to it. I hope they do — maybe it will take the pressure off other players,” Ronaldo said during a press conference on Wednesday.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who aims to play in his sixth World Cup, admitted the clash with Ireland will be challenging as the hosts are expected to play defensively to limit Portugal’s attacking opportunities.
When asked about the dream scenario of scoring his 1,000th career goal in the World Cup final, the 40-year-old smiled and replied,
“You’ve been watching too many movies — that would be too perfect.”
Currently representing Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo has already scored 953 career goals, including 143 international goals, making him the highest-scoring men’s international player in history.
Although he hinted earlier this week that the 2026 World Cup might be his last, Ronaldo clarified that his current focus remains on Portugal’s qualification journey.
“There’s no point in losing focus. Maybe later I’ll talk more about my future, but right now, Portugal has another opportunity to reach another final,” he said.
Portugal sits five points clear atop Group F with two matches left, and Ronaldo is determined to keep leading by example as he chases yet another milestone in his legendary career.