Ex-England star tips Ronaldo to target Euro 2028 after World Cup heartbreak

Former England winger Chris Waddle believes Cristiano Ronaldo may not be ready to end his international career just yet, suggesting the Portugal captain could set his sights on UEFA Euro 2028 despite admitting that another FIFA World Cup is no longer realistic.

Ronaldo's future with the Portuguese national team has been the subject of intense debate following Portugal's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The loss effectively ended the 41-year-old's dream of lifting football's biggest prize.

Speaking to OLBG, Waddle pointed out that Ronaldo's comments after Portugal's elimination focused specifically on the World Cup rather than international football as a whole.

"He specifically mentioned the World Cup, not international football in general, so he may still have plans to carry on," Waddle said.

The former Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder believes the five-time Ballon d'Or winner could still aim to represent Portugal at Euro 2028, when he would be 43 years old.

Despite acknowledging that another World Cup appearance is virtually impossible, Waddle believes Ronaldo has deliberately left the door open for one final international campaign.

"Listen, he's made a big decision. He couldn't play four years from now, but I noticed he didn't mention the Euros and he might fancy Euro 2028," Waddle added.

Waddle also assessed Ronaldo's performances during the tournament, arguing that the veteran striker struggled to maintain the intensity required at the highest level.

Although Ronaldo managed just one goal during the knockout stages, Waddle insisted Portugal coach Roberto Martinez could have managed the forward's minutes more effectively.

"We know he's a man who loves his stats and wants to break records, which is not a problem, but this World Cup showed that it was one tournament too many for him," Waddle explained.

The former England international believes deploying Ronaldo as an impact substitute could have maximised his influence late in games.

He said, "Roberto Martinez needed to play a proper number nine and use him only as a substitute. Whose decision that was, we don't know.

"He was still way off the pace of the game. If he had come on for the last 30 minutes, opposition teams would have been worried, thinking, 'Oh no, not him.' But when he started games, it took a toll in the final half hour, especially since he didn't seem to have the legs anymore."