RIYADH (Kashmir English): Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo Tuesday said he would hang up his boots in “one or two years” as he hinted that the FIFA World Cup 2026 would ‘definitely’ be his last.
He, earlier, said he would be retiring “soon” as he winds down one of the all-time great careers. “Definitely, yes,” he told a Saudi forum by video link, when asked if 2026 would be his final World Cup. “I’m gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.”
“Soon for me means in 10 years… No, I’m joking,” Ronaldo said at the Saudi-hosted global summit on tourism and investment.
“I’m really enjoying the moment right now. As you know, in football, when you reach some age, you count the months very quick.
“I feel very good in this moment. I score goals, I still feel quick and sharp. I’m enjoying my game in the national team. But of course, let’s be honest. What I mean by soon is probably one or two years.”
Ronaldo’s sixth and last World Cup
The next year’s FIFA World Cup will take place in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. If he plays, Ronaldo will become one of the first players in history to feature in six World Cups, joining Lionel Messi who is also expected to do so.
With his country on the verge of qualifying for the next year’s World Cup, the Portugal forward confirmed the tournament will be his farewell on football’s biggest stage.
“Definitely, yes, because I will be 41 years old [at the World Cup],” said Ronaldo, who is also the top scorer in history with 143 international goals.
“I gave everything for football. I’ve been in the game for the last 25 years. I did everything, I have many records in the different scenarios in the clubs and also in the national teams.
“I’m really proud. So, let’s enjoy the moment, live the moment.”
Ronaldo said he knows he will go down in history as one of the best players ever.
Ronaldo, who has scored over 950 goals for club and country, made his debut as a teenager in 2002. He had said in an interview that he would retire soon to spend time with his family.
Cristiano Jr
But can his son Cristiano Jr, who is playing for the Portugal Under-16 team, be a better player than his father?
“As human beings, we always don’t want anybody being better than us. But I wish my kids will be better than me. I’m never going to be jealous of him,” Ronaldo said.
“I don’t want to add pressure to that, because what I want for him is to be happy. It doesn’t matter if you want to play football or play another sport. Be happy, be free. Don’t be with the pressure of your daddy because that is a lot.
“This is a new generation, a different generation. They think different, they live different. But as a father, I’m here to help him to be whatever he wants to be. I will be his support.”
