Cristiano Ronaldo expects to be booed by Ireland fans | OneFootball

The Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo stated this Wednesday that he hopes to be booed by the Irish fans to reduce the pressure on his teammates during the Qualifiers match between Ireland and Portugal, on Thursday, in Dublin.

With a victory over Ireland, Portugal secures a spot in next year's tournament, to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is one step away from playing in his sixth World Cup, as the Portuguese team leads Group F of the Qualifiers with a five-point advantage with two rounds remaining.

“The stadium is going to boo me, I'm used to it. I hope so. Maybe it will relieve the pressure on the other players,” said CR7 in a press conference.

Cristiano Ronaldo believes it will be a “difficult” match, with Ireland playing defensively and not giving any space.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward was also asked about the possibility of scoring his thousandth goal in the World Cup final.

“You've seen many movies like that, it would be too perfect,” replied the 40-year-old player, smiling.

“Back to reality, all these statistics make me happy. A team never depends on a single player, but I like to make a difference with goals,” said the current Al-Nassr player.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 953 goals throughout his career. On Tuesday, he said he believes the 2026 World Cup will be his last.

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