Riyadh, November 11: Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark the end of his legendary international career, officially setting a timeline for his long-awaited retirement from professional football.
Speaking via video link at a Saudi Arabian sports forum on Tuesday, the 40-year-old Al Nassr star revealed that he plans to step away from football “within one or two years,” bringing down the curtain on a career that has redefined the modern game.
“Definitely, yes,” Ronaldo said when asked if the 2026 edition would be his final World Cup. “I’m gonna be 41 years old, and I think it will be the moment.”
Record-Breaking Career Nears Its End
With over 950 career goals for club and country, five Ballon d’Or titles, and a host of individual records, Ronaldo’s legacy remains unmatched. He is currently the all-time leading scorer in international football with 143 goals and recently became the top scorer in World Cup qualifying history, surpassing Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz with 41 goals.
His best run at the global tournament came in 2006, when Portugal reached the semi-finals before falling to France. The veteran forward hopes to feature in his sixth World Cup, a record for any male footballer, if Portugal secures qualification with a win against Ireland on Thursday.
“Retirement Will Be Difficult,” Says Ronaldo
In a recent interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored, Ronaldo spoke candidly about the emotional challenge of retirement.
“It will be difficult? Yes. Probably I’ll cry, yes. I’m an open person—it will be very, very difficult,” he said.
Since leaving Manchester United in late 2022, Ronaldo has been a central figure in Saudi Arabia’s football revolution, joining Al Nassr in 2023. His deal reportedly earns him €200 million per year, and he extended his contract by another two years in June 2025.
The World’s First Football Billionaire
Beyond the pitch, Ronaldo continues to dominate financially. Bloomberg recently named him football’s first-ever billionaire, while Forbes ranked him as the world’s highest-paid footballer for the sixth time in a decade, estimating his 2025 earnings at $280 million—more than double Lionel Messi’s projected income for the same season.
Saudi Arabia, where Ronaldo now plies his trade, was officially confirmed as the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup, further solidifying the country’s growing influence in world football under its ambitious Vision 2030 plan.
