Portuguese football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his intention to retire from the game within the next “one or two years,” confirming that the 2026 World Cup will mark his final appearance in the tournament.
The 40-year-old striker, who plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and holds the record for most men’s international caps (225), made the revelation at the Tourise Summit in Riyadh.
- Final World Cup: When asked about the 2026 World Cup—scheduled to take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States—Ronaldo stated, “Definitely, yes. I will be 41 years old and I think [this] will be the moment in the big competition.” This would be his sixth World Cup campaign.
- Retirement Timeline: Expanding on earlier comments about retiring “soon,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner clarified his immediate plans: “Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years I’ll still be at the game.”
Ronaldo currently boasts a massive 953 goals for club and country and is chasing the landmark of 1,000 career goals. He is also the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer with 143.
The former star of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus led Portugal to the Euro 2016 title. He still seeks the World Cup trophy, one of the few major honours missing from his collection.
Portugal, managed by Roberto Martinez, has not yet officially qualified for the 2026 tournament but can secure their spot with a victory over the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.
