Cristiano Ronaldo says 2026 World Cup will be the last of his career | OneFootball

The Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo stated on Tuesday that the 2026 World Cup, which he will compete in at the age of 41, will be the last of his career.

“Definitely, yes,” replied the Al-Nassr forward when asked if the next World Cup would be his last. “I will be 41 years old and I believe it will be the moment,” he said at a tourism forum in Saudi Arabia.

CR7 Ronaldo also spoke about his retirement as a professional, stating that the moment to hang up his boots is near: “Let's be honest, when I say soon, it probably means one or two more years.”

  See this photo on Instagram   A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano)

In the fight for qualification

Portugal is not yet qualified for the next World Cup, but they can secure their spot with a win over Ireland on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo's best campaign with Portugal in a World Cup was fourth place in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

After a successful career in Europe, especially at Manchester United and Real Madrid, CR7 signed with Al-Nassr in 2023, initiating a movement of major figures to football in Saudi Arabia, a country set to host the 2034 World Cup.

Driven by the crown prince and de facto leader of the kingdom, Mohammed bin Salman, the 'Vision 2030' reform plan aims to open up the country and diversify its economy, which largely depends on oil.

Sport holds a prominent place in the strategy, but critics of the kingdom claim that the Saudi monarchy uses the organization of major sporting events to try to improve its image.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.