Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will be his final major international tournament before retirement.
The 40-year-old Portugal captain, who has won five Ballon d’Or awards, says he expects to retire from football entirely within the next one or two years.
Speaking from Portugal’s training camp, 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 while he still feels sharp and is enjoying his football with both Al Nassr and the national team, he is aware that the twilight of his career is approaching.
The World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, would mark Ronaldo’s record sixth appearance at the tournament, surpassing the previous male record held by Germany’s Lothar Matthaus. Qualification is within reach for Portugal, who need points from upcoming games against the Republic of Ireland and Armenia to secure their spot.
Ronaldo currently has 953 career goals and is chasing a milestone of 1,000 before hanging up his boots. He is also the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer, with 143 goals for Portugal, and has added five goals in four World Cup qualifying games this campaign.
Despite his long and illustrious career – highlighted by the Euro 2016 triumph – Ronaldo still seeks the World Cup title, the one major trophy missing from his collection. Reflecting on his future, he admitted, “It will be tough, of course. It will be very, very difficult. Probably I will cry. I’m an open person.”
Ronaldo and his long-time rival Lionel Messi are set to make history together, both heading to their sixth World Cups. While Messi will compete for Argentina, Ronaldo will bid farewell to the international stage with Portugal, potentially capping off a legendary career on football’s biggest stage.
