He tells the World Cup where he will end his professional career

After revealing that he plans to announce his retirement after the 2026 World Cup during an interview at the TOURISE tourism forum in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo (a forward for the Portuguese national team and the Saudi Pro League team Al-Nassr) stated that the 2026 World Cup will be the last World Cup he will compete in due to being 41 years old by the time the event takes place. “Will the next World Cup be the last one for me? Yes, it’s true, because I will already be 41 years old,” Mundo Deportivo quotes the player as saying.

Previous to making the announcement, Ronaldo indicated that he was planning on retiring soon, joking that he expected to do so in “10 years.”

“For me, 10 years mean ‘soon.’ People think that when I say I am going to retire soon, they assume it will be within the next 6 months or 1 year, but I’m kidding!” Ronaldo stated to journalists. Ronaldo is currently 40 years old. Throughout his career, he has earned several titles including; three English league titles, two Spanish and Italian championship titles, and five UEFA Champions League titles. He has also won the Ballon D’or (the title given to the best soccer player in the world) five times. With the Portugal National Team, he has earned two European Championships and two UEFA Nations League titles. He is the all-time leading scorer in soccer history with 938 goals.

UEFA Champions League title – uefa.com

Ronaldo has represented the Portugal National Team since 2003. Since then, he has made 225 appearances for the team and scored 143 goals.

Prior to signing with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia in 2022, Ronaldo played for the following teams: Sporting (Portugal), Manchester United (England), Real Madrid (Spain), and Juventus (Italy).

Ronaldo competed in his first World Cup in 2006 (held in Germany), and the 2026 World Cup will be his fifth participation. The World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 through July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.