Cristiano Ronaldo Confirms 2026 World Cup as His Last
Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that the 2026 World Cup will be his final appearance in the tournament.
The 40-year-old forward, who has netted an impressive 953 goals for both club and country, revealed that he plans to retire from professional football in "one or two years." Next year's World Cup, hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, will mark his sixth participation in the event.
In an interview with CNN, Ronaldo confirmed that 2026 would indeed be his last World Cup, 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, as he continues to aim for the milestone of 1,000 career goals.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus star mentioned last week that he would retire "soon," but clarified on Tuesday that this 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 explained.
Ronaldo played a pivotal role in leading Portugal to victory in the Euro 2016 tournament. However, the World Cup remains one of the few major trophies absent from the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's collection.
As for the upcoming World Cup, Portugal, under the management of Roberto Martinez, has yet to secure qualification. They can guarantee their spot in the tournament by defeating Ireland on Thursday.