Cristiano Ronaldo wants Ireland fans to boo him in Dublin to ease pressure on Portugal teammates during crucial World Cup qualifier.
PORTUGAL captain Cristiano Ronaldo hopes Irish supporters will boo him during Thursday’s World Cup qualifier at the Aviva Stadium.
The 40-year-old believes hostile treatment from the crowd could relieve pressure on his teammates as Portugal chase World Cup qualification.
Portugal will secure their place at the 2026 World Cup with a victory against Ireland in Dublin.
Ronaldo told reporters he expects a difficult match against an Irish team likely to defend deep and restrict space.
“The stadium will boo me, I’m used to it, I certainly hope they do – maybe it will take the pressure off other players,” Ronaldo said at Wednesday’s press conference.
When asked about potentially scoring his 1000th career goal in a World Cup final, Ronaldo dismissed the scenario as cinematic fantasy.
“You’ve been watching too many movies, that would be too perfect,” laughed the Al Nassr forward.
Ronaldo currently sits on 953 career goals and remains international football’s all-time leading scorer with 143 goals.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner confirmed his ambition to feature at a sixth World Cup next summer.
Portugal lead World Cup qualifying Group F by five points with just two matches remaining.
Ronaldo previously suggested the 2026 tournament would likely mark his international farewell.
However, he declined to elaborate on retirement plans during Wednesday’s media session.
“There’s no point in being repetitive and losing focus,” Ronaldo added.
“Maybe later on I’ll give more interviews and speak more clearly about what I think for the future, but Portugal has another opportunity to be in another finals.” – AFP
