Cristiano Ronaldo ‘no longer able to give more’, says Brazil legend Ronaldo after Portugal’s 2026 World Cup exit

Brazil great Ronaldo Nazario says Cristiano Ronaldo’s body has started to “send clear signals it can no longer give more” at the highest level, arguing that physical decline was the key factor behind the Portugal captain’s struggles at the 2026 World Cup.

Portugal were knocked out in the last 16 after a 1-0 defeat by Spain, ending Cristiano Ronaldo’s final appearance on football’s biggest stage – a tournament he had announced in advance would be his last World Cup.

Despite starting regularly for his country, the 41-year-old scored three goals in five matches, in a campaign where he fell short of the dominant standards that have marked most of his career.

‘The body makes the final decision’

Speaking to ESPN Brazil, Ronaldo Nazario said Cristiano’s difficulties were not a surprise, but part of an inevitable process faced by all elite players as they age.

He explained: “In the end, the body starts sending clear signals that it can no longer give more. I believe that Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar have reached that stage where there is a kind of understanding between the player and his body”.

He added: “Maybe Cristiano is still able to play in the Saudi league, but playing in the World Cup is something completely different, because the level of competition there is much higher”.

Drawing on his own experience of retirement, the former Brazil striker said that the emotional battle to accept the end is often tougher than the physical one.

He said: “No matter how passionate we are about football, and no matter how much we would love to keep playing forever, the body is the one that makes the decision in the end”.

Ronaldo Nazario pointed out that he went through a similar phase in the final years of his own career, when he was forced to confront his physical decline before finally walking away from the game.

Record-breaking World Cup career ends without the trophy

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the World Cup stage as one of the competition’s most enduring figures. Alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi, he holds the record for the most World Cup tournament appearances, spanning an era in which both players redefined modern football.

His international honours are extensive: five Ballon d’Or awards at club level, the Euro 2016 title with Portugal, and victory in the UEFA Nations League. But the World Cup remained the one major trophy that eluded him, despite five attempts at lifting it.

Prior to the 2026 tournament, the forward had made it clear that this edition would be his final World Cup. The round-of-16 defeat by Spain therefore not only closed Portugal’s campaign but also drew a line under one of the competition’s longest-running storylines.

International future still undecided

While his World Cup journey is over, Cristiano Ronaldo’s broader international future has yet to be formally resolved.

According to reports in the Portuguese press, new national team coach Jorge Jesus is keen for the Al Nassr striker to remain part of the squad for the next cycle, including the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign.

Jesus has publicly backed the veteran forward, insisting that Cristiano Ronaldo “لن يكون مشكلة ابدا” for him or for the Portugal side. The Saudi Pro League star has, for his part, not announced his retirement from international football.

The coming months are likely to determine whether Ronaldo continues to play for his country in a reduced role, focuses solely on his club career in Saudi Arabia, or chooses to end an international journey that has already secured his place among the game’s greats – even if, as Ronaldo Nazario underlined, his body may now be dictating the terms.