Cristiano Ronaldo Confirms 2026 World Cup Will Be His Last

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese striker and record-holder for the most caps in men’s international football with 225 appearances, has officially declared that the 2026 World Cup will be his last.

At 40 years old, Ronaldo has netted an astounding 953 goals for both club and country and mentioned that he plans to retire from football within the next one to two years.

Next year’s World Cup, set to take place across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will mark Ronaldo’s sixth participation in the prestigious tournament.

In a recent interview with CNN, when asked if the 2026 World Cup would indeed be his final one, Ronaldo responded affirmatively, stating, “Definitely, yes. I will be 41 years old, and I think this will be the moment in the big competition.”

Currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo holds the record as the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 goals. He remains focused on achieving the significant milestone of 1,000 career goals.

Ronaldo, who has previously played for clubs such as Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, indicated last week that his retirement would be “soon,” and confirmed on Tuesday that it would likely happen within the next couple of years. “Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years I’ll still be at the game,” he remarked.

He played a pivotal role in leading Portugal to the Euro 2016 title; however, the World Cup is one of the few major trophies that eludes the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Currently, Roberto Martinez’s team has yet to qualify for next year’s tournament but can secure a spot with a win against Ireland on Thursday.