‘Probably my last year’ – Ronaldo hints at retirement
Cristiano Ronaldo says this season is likely to be his last as a player after a glittering career.
The 41-year-old married his partner, Georgina Rodriguez, last Tuesday and is considering a future centered on his family.
A five-time Ballon d’Or and five-time Champions League winner, Ronaldo has won league titles in England, Spain, Italy and Saudi Arabia and is the all-time leading scorer in men’s international football.
The Portugal captain has spent nearly four years at Saudi Pro League champions Al-Nassr, where he has one year left on his contract.
“This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” Ronaldo told Vogue in an interview about his wedding.
He said he has his future “all mapped out” and plans to travel, watch and play padel, which he enjoys, and continue enjoying what he and his family have earned after 25 years of sacrifice.
Ronaldo is 24 goals away from reaching 1,000 senior career goals.
His longtime rival Lionel Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, has also recently said he is unsure how much longer he will play.
Their respective World Cup campaigns were very different, with Messi scoring eight goals and leading Argentina to the final, while Ronaldo’s Portugal was eliminated in the round of 16.
Asked in July if his sixth World Cup would be his last, Ronaldo said he would decide “with a calm head” after speaking with his family.
Al-Nassr began its Saudi Pro League title defense against Al Fateh on Saturday. Ronaldo did not play but watched the champions win from the stands with his family.
