Cristiano Ronaldo has given the clearest sign yet that retirement is near. At 41 years old, the Al-Nassr striker revealed that he believes he is playing his last season as a professional player.
CR7 on retirement: "This is probably my last year in football"
Cristiano Ronaldo has given the clearest sign yet that retirement is near. At 41 years old, the Al-Nassr striker revealed that he believes he is playing his last season as a professional player. The statement was made in an interview with...
The main topic of the conversation was the Portuguese's marriage to Georgina Rodríguez, but it also discussed the player's plans for the future and the possibility of ending a career that began more than two decades ago. "This is probably my last year in football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy," said Cristiano.
- Although he avoided establishing a definitive date for retirement, the statement indicates that goodbye could happen at the end of the 2026/27 season.
- The striker's current contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 2027, after the renewal signed last year.
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The statement was made in an interview with Vogue magazine, published on Sunday (16). The main topic of the conversation was the Portuguese's marriage to Georgina Rodríguez, but it also discussed the player's plans for the future and the possibility of ending a career that began more than two decades ago.
"This is probably my last year in football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy," said Cristiano.
Although he avoided establishing a definitive date for retirement, the statement indicates that goodbye could happen at the end of the 2026/27 season. The striker's current contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 2027, after the renewal signed last year.
Cristiano Ronaldo is already thinking about life after football
In the interview, Cristiano made it clear that he does not intend to retire without knowing what to do away from the pitch.
The Portuguese stated that he has already structured the next steps and that he intends to occupy his time with different activities. Among his plans are traveling more, spending more time with his family and playing paddle tennis, a sport for which he has shown enthusiasm.
The concern is to avoid the void that can arise after a routine dedicated to professional football for practically your entire life. Cristiano highlighted that there were around 25 years marked by work and sacrifices and indicated that he wants to make the most of what he has built throughout his career.
The striker began his professional career at Sporting, Portugal, before playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Since the end of 2022, he has played for Al-Nassr, from Saudi Arabia.
The 2026 World Cup also marked a farewell
The possibility of retirement had already been mentioned by Cristiano in recent months. During the 2026 World Cup, number 7 confirmed that it would be his last participation in the tournament. The competition was the sixth Cup played by the Portuguese.
Portugal ended up being eliminated by Spain in the round of 16. Even without winning the world title throughout his career, Cristiano stated during the tournament that his trajectory would not be defined by the absence of the trophy.
The Portuguese has accumulated achievements for club and national team, including five Ballon d'Ors, five Champions League titles and the 2016 Euro Cup. He also won two editions of the Nations League with Portugal.
Milestone of a thousand goals is still on the horizon
Even speaking openly about the end of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo is still pursuing an unprecedented milestone before stopping.
According to Reuters, the striker has scored 976 goals for clubs and the Portuguese national team and is getting closer to his goal of reaching 1,000 official goals.
The number has become one of the player's main goals in recent years and could give an additional ingredient to what, in Cristiano's own words, has a great chance of being his farewell season.
For now, however, there is no formal retirement announcement. The Portuguese used the word "probably" when talking about the last year, leaving open the possibility of reviewing plans depending on his physical condition and the coming months.
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