Portugal’s legendary football player Cristiano Ronaldo announced that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the last tournament in his career. Speaking at the Tourism Summit in Riyadh, Ronaldo said, “I will be 41 years old and I think this will be my last memory in a major tournament.”
Speaking about the date when he will retire from football completely, the star said, “I am living the moment, but when I say ‘soon’ I mean really soon. Because I gave everything to football. I have been in this game for 25 years, I have done everything. I broke many records in clubs and the national team. I am proud of this. Let’s enjoy the moment now.”
Ronaldo, who made history, is the football player who scored the most goals at the international level with 143 goals. He also has the title of being the first male football player to score in five different World Cups.
The 2026 World Cup, with 48 teams, which will be the largest participation tournament in history, will start on June 11, 2026, in partnership with the USA, Mexico and Canada. The draw will be held on December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Ronaldo became the first billionaire player in football history after signing the contract with Al Nassr this year.
Ronaldo also has son Cristiano Jr. He also talked about: “People generally don’t want anyone to be better than them, but I want my children to be better than me. I would never be jealous of him, believe me. All I want is for him to be happy and not feel the pressure of being my son. As a father, I am there for him to be whatever he wants to be.”