Ronaldo Confirms 2026 World Cup Will Be His Final Tournament
Portugal captain says the 2026 World Cup will be his final appearance as he plans to retire from football within two years
- Cristiano Ronaldo confirms the 2026 World Cup will mark his final appearance on the global stage
- The 40-year-old plans to retire from professional football within the next one or two years.
- Ronaldo remains the world’s most-capped men’s player with 225 appearances and 143 international goals for Portugal.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark his final appearance on football’s biggest stage.
The 40-year-old forward, who has scored 953 career goals for club and country and holds the record for most international caps (225), revealed that he plans to retire from football within the next one or two years.
Speaking at the Tourise Summit in Riyadh, Ronaldo said, “Definitely, yes. I will be 41 years old, and I think that will be the right moment to end my journey in the big competitions.”
Currently playing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo remains the all-time leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 goals, as he continues his pursuit of the 1,000-goal milestone.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has starred for Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, added: “When I say I’ll retire soon, it probably means one or two more years in the game.”
Ronaldo famously led Portugal to victory at Euro 2016, but the World Cup remains one of the few major trophies missing from his illustrious career.
Portugal, managed by Roberto Martínez, are yet to confirm qualification for the 2026 tournament, but a win against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday would seal their spot.
