Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement hits home in Toronto: ‘Portuguese soccer won’t feel the same’ - Toronto Star

Fans of the soccer legend in Toronto have already planned an event to honour Ronaldo at Earlscourt Park on Saturday afternoon.

Longtime supporter Rick Inacio holding the ticket of Cristiano Ronaldo’s final game as a player at Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon.

Months after Cristiano Ronaldo sent Toronto streets into a frenzy, the international soccer star’s retirement announcement has sent shock waves through some of his fiercest supporters.

Massive Portugal soccer collector Rick Inacio woke up at 5 a.m. to a text message from his brother and didn’t want to believe the news.

“We were hoping for him to get his 1,000th goal in a Portugal jersey,” Inacio said.

Portugal’s forward #07 Cristiano Ronaldo arrives ahead of the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Portugal and Croatia at the Toronto Stadium in Toronto on July 2, 2026. 

Ronaldo’s career in a Portugal jersey included six World Cups, a European title and the men’s all-time international scoring record. He has 985 career goals in 1,343 professional matches. Ronaldo announced his retirement from the international game on Thursday in a long video on social media.

“To the Portuguese people, the day has come for me to hand back the No. 7 shirt of our national team,” Ronaldo said. “I never felt it belonged to me alone, but for 23 years I had the privilege and the responsibility of wearing it, defending it and carrying it with me into stadiums all around the world.”

Fans of the 41-year-old soccer legend have already planned an event to honour him at Earlscourt Park for Saturday afternoon.

The ticket of Ronaldo’s final game in a Portugal uniform from longtime supporter Rick Inacio.

Inacio attended Ronaldo’s final game in a Portugal uniform in September at Estádio José Alvalade. He was also invited to Portugal’s club office for a tour and dropped off some Ronaldo memorabilia for the federation, which has plans to build a museum.

For the last decade, he has collected Portugal soccer tickets, stubs, cards, magazines, and newspapers. On the day of Ronaldo’s retirement announcement, the Toronto native was setting up shop at the Sport Card Expo in Mississauga with his collection.

“I have his debut ticket, the first time he played for Portugal,” Inacio said. “Now that he retired … his stuff is going to jump up in pricing.”

Ronaldo and Portugal turned downtown Toronto upside down in July with thousands camping outside the team’s downtown hotel and following them to their practice facility in Etobicoke. ​

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (7) participates in a World Cup training session ahead of their match against Croatia in Toronto on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. 

Restaurant manager Stefanie Alves felt the Ronaldo effect personally when his older sister Katia Aveiro and mother Maria Dolores visited Via Norte ahead of Portugal’s round-of-32 match vs. Croatia. Once word got out of the family dining in, their phone couldn’t stop ringing. Customers still come in eager to learn about the special visit.

Restaurant manager Stefanie Alves, left, alongside her father and restaurant owner Jose Alves by the painting of Ronaldo that hangs inside Via Norte.

“A lot of people, when they come, they ask like, ‘Where did Ronaldo’s family sit? And we show them the table, and they’re like we want to sit at that table,’” Alves says.

For Alves, Portuguese soccer won’t feel the same without Ronaldo, and she doesn’t think anyone can replicate what he did for Portugal and for the sport as a whole.

“I’ve watched him play since the beginning of his career, so this is something that people from my generation especially are feeling super emotional about because it’s been so impactful on the way we’ve grown up, the way we’ve watched football,” Alves said.

In first half action, Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo (7) runs in the sun. In the round of 32, Portugal took on Croatia in FIFA soccer action at Toronto Stadium.

“He’s a human like all of us, but he’s made such an impact not only in soccer but off the pitch.”

Jennifer Little got the news of Ronaldo’s retirement from her soccer-obsessed kids.

“My 10-year-old daughter Harper is the most upset about it,” Little said. “She’s like, ‘Oh no! Now what is he gonna do? So it’s become like a whole thing; she’s feeling all of the emotions.”

Harper knows almost every single fact about Ronaldo. She often gets into arguments with her friend about who’s better, the Portuguese legend or Lionel Messi. She was in tears seeing Portugal eliminated from the World Cup this past summer, knowing it was likely his last shot at winning the tournament.

As a young competitive dancer, Harper relates to what the soccer legend is going through.

Harper Johnson, 10, with a drawing of her favourite soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo.

“This must be so sad for him because this is what he has trained for his whole life, so I think she’s feeling like an akin energy to him,” Little said.

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Libaan Osman is a Toronto-based general assignment reporter for the Star's city team. Reach him via email: losman@thestar.ca.