Cristiano Ronaldo: The sounds of the end of an era are beginning to be heard in the world of football. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has given the biggest hint so far about his retirement. The legendary Portuguese footballer has said that the current season could be his last year as a player. 41-year-old Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr is till June 2027. However, he has admitted many times before that his sports career is reaching its final stage, but he has never given any definite date for his retirement. Now in an interview with Vogue, he said that this is probably his last year in football and he wants to leave a great legacy.
Ronaldo had also said in November last year that he can play for one or two more years. He had also made it clear that the 2026 World Cup would be the last World Cup of his career. Portugal was out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 after losing against Spain last month. However, then Ronaldo had refused to tell when he would completely say goodbye to football.
Preparations begin for life after football
Ronaldo told that he has already started planning for his life after football. Now he wants to spend more time with his family and enjoy life off the field. He said that the void created in life after leaving football will have to be filled with many different activities. Ronaldo said he wants to enjoy his achievements, citing things like travelling, playing paddle and watching. He said that the last 25 years have been full of sacrifice and hard work for him. In such a situation, it is now important to give time to other aspects of life.
25 year career may come to an end
This statement of Ronaldo is a clear indication of his retirement this year. Ronaldo started his career with Sporting CP. After this he played for big clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Since January 2023, he is part of Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. The most brilliant period of his career was at Real Madrid, where he scored a record 450 goals in 438 matches. Ronaldo scored three goals in this year’s World Cup and contributed in taking Portugal to the last-16.