FIFA World Cup will be my last, Cristiano Ronaldo confirms
What's the story
Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be his last. The Portuguese footballer announced the same during an interview at the Tourise Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He also revealed that he plans to retire from professional football in "one or two years." Ronaldo is currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia and has scored over 950 goals throughout his career.
Final tournament
'Probably 1 or 2 years'
When asked if the 2026 tournament would be his last, Ronaldo said: "Definitely, yes. I will be 41 years old, and I think [this] will be the moment in the big competition." He added that he is enjoying playing but knows his time is limited. "When I mean soon, it's probably one or two years, I'll still be at the game," he said.
Career highlights
Ronaldo set for sixth World Cup
Ronaldo, who has a record 143 international goals, is looking forward to playing his sixth FIFA World Cup next year. The expanded 48-team tournament will kick off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Portugal will qualify for the event if they beat the Republic of Ireland on Thursday. On the other hand, Ronaldo signed a two-year extension with Al-Nassr in June, having extended his contract with the Saudi Pro League club until June 2027.
Goal tally
An elusive World Cup trophy
Ronaldo has already scored as many as five times across four qualifying matches, extending his record for most international goals to 143. The World Cup trophy will be elusive for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who will have one final chance at glory in June-July 2026. Notably, Ronaldo remains the only player to have scored in five World Cup editions.