The Portuguese star turned a press conference into a show: he pointed at a journalist he accused of not liking him and recounted how he identified an Argentine flight attendant by her gaze. This all happened before the Portugal-Spain match in the round of 16.
The press room of the 2026 World Cup in Dallas became an improvised stage for humour and provocation. Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Portugal, took the floor earlier than expected and pointed directly at a journalist in the audience. In Portuguese, he issued a challenge: “Go on, ask that boy in front of him. That boy who doesn’t like me. I want to see if he asks me a good question.”
The moderator handed over the microphone and Ronaldo insisted: “Who? Yes, that one, over there. Yes, yes. You. I know I don’t appeal to him.” Far from being intimidated, the journalist calmly replied: “Cristiano, all good? I adore you. A pleasure to talk to you. I wanted to know what is the most difficult thing about playing in a World Cup at 41 years old.”
Response with humour and a flight attendant anecdote
Ronaldo's response was swift and elicited laughter: “What’s the most difficult thing? It’s talking to you… with some of you.” He added: “Those who don’t like me, mainly. You are one of them, I know it.” To make clear his sharp memory, he declared: “I pay close attention to people’s faces. I just need to see once and I never forget.”
To demonstrate his theory, he shared an anecdote that occurred during the trip to Dallas. An Argentine flight attendant looked at him and quickly averted her gaze. He interpreted the gesture instantly and said: “I’m sure you’re from Argentina.” She asked how he knew, and Ronaldo explained: “The way you looked at me. You looked at me and turned your eyes away very quickly. That means you don’t like Cristiano.”
However, he clarified that it was all in jest: “My wife is Argentine. Obviously, I have to have a special affection for Argentines too, she’s from Buenos Aires. So, it’s all good, nothing’s wrong.” The reference was to his partner, Georgina Rodríguez.
Reflection on age and the future in the national team
Immediately after, the tone turned serious. Ronaldo responded maturely about the challenges of playing at his age: “To reach this level, you have to give up many things. I have also adapted to the nuances of age, knowing that I am not the same player I was, but one thing I am clear about is that nothing has changed. I still score goals.”
With three goals in the tournament up to that point, he expressed his desire to score against Spain: “So, I hope to do it tomorrow. If I don’t do it, let another teammate do it, and we can advance.” For him, what endures is the moment: “What remains in memory is to advance, to play against a great team. And it would be nice to beat Spain.”
Beyond the initial exchange, Ronaldo spoke of Spain with respect. “They are favourites because they have already won, but it’s a different competition. There’s fatigue, it’s been hot… I love playing against Spain,” he stated. He estimated that he has played about ten matches against the Spaniards, with a “very good” balance. Regarding the match, he was blunt: “Tomorrow we need to play well, have courage, and run.”
Regarding his performance, he addressed the criticism with a specific fact: “I don’t think I’m doing that badly, I’ve scored three goals.” Concerning his retirement, he was emphatic: “I have always given my all, and that’s not going to change, whether I play or not. I can leave whenever I want, not when others want.”
“It’s not worth paying attention to those opinions. The comments don’t affect me, that’s part of it all. What matters is the support of the fans, everything else is rubbish,” he declared. On the weight of the title, he philosophised: “I lack nothing in life; it has been very generous to me. I won’t be more Cristiano for winning a World Cup or not. I try to enjoy day by day, and with criticism, you grow.”
When talking about his departure from the national team, Ronaldo was clear: “The day will come, but regardless of when it is, I will leave with a clear conscience because I have given my all. If I have played for so many years, it wasn’t out of necessity; it’s passion, I love playing football. Whatever happens, I will be happy.”
The possibility that the match against Spain could be his last World Cup match doesn’t keep him awake at night. For him, what matters is the legacy: “I have always given my all, and that’s not going to change.” The round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain takes place this Monday in Dallas. Fans are eager to see if 'the Bug' will be a protagonist again, both on and off the pitch.
You may also like
