Cristiano Ronaldo gets candid about ‘dark’ week that led up to historic World Cup moment: ‘As if I retired’

World Cup 2026 Soccer Cristiano Ronaldo gets candid about ‘dark’ week that led up to historic World Cup moment: ‘As if I retired’ By Dylan Svoboda Published June 23, 2026, 9:09 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Cristiano Ronaldo finally delivered Tuesday. After a long scoring drought and a tough week of criticism, the Portugal star got emotional after scoring two goals in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, saying it felt as if the outside noise had already pushed him into retirement. “God helps those who work hard. I knew my teammates would help out too,” Ronaldo said after the game. “It was a difficult week, a dark week. It felt like I’d retired from soccer.

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