Cristiano Ronaldo Confirms 2026 World Cup Will Be His Last 

Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed the 2026 FIFA World Cup will represent his final international tournament. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made this announcement during a Saudi forum appearance via video link on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old forward provided clarity about his retirement timeline during the same event. Ronaldo specified that he anticipates concluding his professional career within the next one to two years.

Ronaldo responded definitively when questioned about his plans for the 2026 World Cup. “Definitely, yes,” he stated. “I’m gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.” This confirmation follows his recent comments about impending retirement. The Al Nassr forward elaborated on his previous statement about retiring “soon” by providing a clearer timeframe.

“Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years, I’ll still be at the game,” Ronaldo explained during the forum discussion. Ronaldo hopes to participate in his sixth World Cup tournament next year. His closest approach to winning the championship occurred during his 2006 debut, when Portugal lost to France in the semi-finals.

🚨 Cristiano Ronaldo: “I will retire soon… I did and gave everything for football in the last 25 years”.

“It’s probably one or two years. For sure this will be my last World Cup, definitely”.

“I’m really enjoying the moment”, told Tourise in Riyadh. pic.twitter.com/reZO4PlLGk

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 11, 2025

Portugal’s national team continues its qualification campaign for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The squad can secure its position with a victory against Ireland in its upcoming match on Thursday. The legendary forward recently achieved another milestone in World Cup qualifying. He became the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 41 goals, surpassing Guatemalan Carlos Ruiz’s previous record.

Ronaldo discussed the emotional difficulty of his approaching retirement during a recent television interview. He acknowledged the profound personal impact of leaving the professional football world. “It will be difficult? Yes. Probably will cry, yes. I’m an open person. It will be very, very difficult, yes,” Ronaldo told Piers Morgan Uncensored last week.

🗣️ Cristiano Ronaldo: “Retirement? 10 years time (laughs). No, it will be soon.” pic.twitter.com/x6MsIuwnY4

— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) November 11, 2025

The Portuguese star maintains his status as the all-time leading international scorer in football. His remarkable tally of 143 goals for Portugal remains unmatched in the history of football. Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in 2023 after departing Manchester United. His high-profile transfer initiated a trend of elite players moving to Saudi Arabian clubs.

Read: Cristiano Ronaldo Sets Record for Most Penalty Misses in Football History

The football icon recently signed a two-year contract extension with his Saudi club. His initial agreement reportedly guaranteed approximately 200 million euros annually. Bloomberg recently recognised Ronaldo as football’s first billionaire. Forbes also ranked him as the sport’s highest-paid athlete for the sixth time in ten years.

Ronaldo’s estimated earnings of $280 million significantly surpass those of his closest rival, Lionel Messi. His financial success coincides with Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in global sports, including their successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup.