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In an interview with CNN's Becky Anderson on Tuesday, Portugal's legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo shared that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will "definitely" be his swansong. "I will be 41 years old and I think this will be the moment in the big competition," Ronaldo said. The all-time leading international goalscorer also reflected on his full retirement, stating, "I’m enjoying the moment, but when I mean soon, it’s really soon because 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 has scored 143 international goals and is the first-ever male player to score at five World Cups.
The expanded 48-team tournament, the largest in history, kicks off June 11, 2026, in the US, Mexico and Canada. The World Cup draw is scheduled for December 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Earlier this year, Ronaldo became the sport’s first billionaire player following a contract he signed with Al Nassr, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Ronaldo also said he hopes his son Cristiano Jr., who plays in the Portugal under-16 club, ends up being a better player than him on the pitch.
“Human beings, we don’t want nobody being better than us,” Ronaldo said. “But in my point, I wish if my kids will be better than me, I’m never going to be jealous of him, trust me.”
Ronaldo said all he wants is for his son to be happy and not have to endure any pressure of being his son.
