Cristiano Ronaldo says next summer’s World Cup will be his last major tournament before retiring.
The 40-year-old forward, who has won five Ballon d’Or trophies, has also said he plans to stop playing in the next year or two.
But Ronaldo admits he wants to score 1,000 goals before he retires – his current tally is 953.
Portugal will qualify for the World Cup if they beat the Republic of Ireland on Thursday. Next summer’s tournament will be his record sixth and final World Cup.
Asked at the Tourise World Tourism Summit when he plans to retire, he said: “When I say soon, I’ll go back and say, but I’m really enjoying the moment.”
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Highlights of the match between Neom SC and Al Nasr in the Saudi Pro League.
“As you know in football, when you get to a certain age you count the months very quickly, so it’s good for now.
“As I said before, I’m feeling really good right now, I’m scoring goals, I still have the speed and sharpness, I’m enjoying playing with the national team and with Al Nasr, but to be honest, of course, it’s probably a year or two before I’ll be able to play any more in the near future.”
Asked if this would be his last major international tournament, Ronaldo replied: “Absolutely.”
That would raise big questions about whether Ronaldo will play in time for the 2028 European Championships, to be held in Britain and Ireland.
Ronaldo: “Amorim can’t do miracles at Manchester United”
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Cristiano Ronaldo gave his honest thoughts on Manchester United in an interview with Piers Morgan. Credit: Piers Morgan Uncensored on YouTube.
Ronaldo has revealed his sadness at his former club, saying Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim cannot create miracles at Old Trafford.
It has been a tumultuous year for the Portuguese manager, as United finished 15th in the Premier League, their worst finish, and lost the Europa League final, ending the season without a trophy and missing out on Europe.
United have shown some positive signs recently, but Ronaldo remains concerned about the current state of the club.
“He (Amorim) is doing his best,” Ronaldo said on Piers Morgan Uncensored.
“What are you going to do? A miracle? Miracles are impossible. In Portugal, they say miracles can only be found in Fatima.
“We don’t try to do miracles, and neither do the players. Manchester United have good players, but some of them don’t have heart. What is Manchester United about?”
Ronaldo, who turns 41 in February, also revealed that he plans to retire “soon” and predicts he will “probably cry” when the time comes.
Al Nasr’s Portugal forward has scored 952 goals in his career so far and is aiming for 1,000 before he retires.
When asked when he would think about retiring, Ronaldo replied: “Soon. But I think I will be ready.”
“Of course it’s going to be hard. I’m probably going to cry, yes…I’m an open person. It’s going to be very, very difficult, yes.
“But I’ve been preparing my future since I was 25, 26, 27 years old. I think I can withstand that pressure.”
