On September 6, in the first round of Group A of League A in the UEFA Nations League, Portugal secured a 2-1 victory over Croatia at home, marking Cristiano Ronaldo’s 900th career goal. After the match, Ronaldo stated that he no longer needs to prove himself by winning the World Cup.
As one of the greatest footballers of today, Ronaldo has yet to win a World Cup title, which has been a point of criticism for him. After helping Portugal defeat Croatia, Ronaldo said in an interview, “I don’t need to win the World Cup to prove myself. Winning the European Championship for Portugal means just as much as winning the World Cup. I have already won two major tournament titles for my national team.”
Throughout his career with Portugal, Ronaldo has won the 2016 UEFA European Championship in France and the 2019 UEFA Nations League. Whether Ronaldo will participate in the 2026 World Cup for one last dance is also a topic of great interest.