Portugal’s legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark his final appearance on football’s biggest stage.
The 40-year-old, who has scored an astonishing 953 goals for club and country, made the revelation during an interview at the Tourism Summit in Riyadh. He added that he expects to retire from professional football “in one or two years.”
“Definitely, yes,” Ronaldo said when asked if the 2026 tournament—set to be hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States—would be his last. “I will be 41 years old, and I think this will be the moment in the big competition.”
Currently playing for Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, Ronaldo remains the world’s all-time leading men’s international goalscorer, with 143 goals for Portugal. He continues to chase his personal goal of reaching 1,000 career goals before hanging up his boots.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has previously starred for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, reiterated that retirement is now on the horizon. “Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years I’ll still be at the game,” he said.
Ronaldo, who famously led Portugal to their first-ever major title at Euro 2016, has won nearly every accolade in world football—except the World Cup trophy. His confirmation marks the beginning of what may be a farewell chapter for one of football’s greatest-ever players.
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