Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that the end of his remarkable football career could be closer than many expected, saying the current season will “probably” be his last.
The Portugal captain made the revelation in an interview with Vogue, where he spoke about his plans beyond football and his desire to leave the game with a legacy he can be proud of.
“This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” Ronaldo said.
At 41, Ronaldo is already in the twilight of a career that has stretched across more than two decades and seen him play for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, before moving to Al Nassr.
His latest comments, however, appear to put a clearer timeline on a retirement he has previously refused to pin down.
Ronaldo has continued to score goals at Al Nassr and remains focused on reaching 1,000 career goals. He currently has 976 goals for club and country, leaving him just 24 short of the landmark.
That target could make the final months of his career particularly interesting, with Ronaldo still chasing numbers that few players in football history have come close to.
His international career has also made him the leading scorer in men’s international football, with 146 goals for Portugal. He has won the European Championship with his country and collected five Ballon d’Or awards, five Champions League titles and league titles in England, Spain and Italy.
But after years of making football the centre of his life, Ronaldo is now looking ahead to what comes next.
The Portuguese forward said he already has plans for life after football, including travelling and spending more time playing padel.
For supporters who have watched Ronaldo’s career from his early days at Sporting CP, through his Manchester United and Real Madrid years and into his later career in Saudi Arabia, the thought of his final season will be difficult to ignore.
For now, Ronaldo remains on the pitch.
But if his latest words are anything to go by, football may be watching one of its greatest-ever careers enter its final season.
