Cristiano Ronaldo says 2026 World Cup will be definitely his last

Dubai: Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday said next year’s World Cup would be his last as he winds down one of the all-time great careers.

“Definitely, yes,” he told a Saudi forum by video link, when asked if 2026 would be his World Cup swan song. “I’m gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.”

The Portugal forward, who has scored over 950 goals for club and country, made his debut as a teenager at Sporting in 2002.

Ronaldo extended his contract with Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr until 2027 in June and the 40-year-old Portuguese is also targeting next year's World Cup, the only major title missing from his trophy cabinet.

During an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored last week, Ronaldo opened up further about the realities of his looming retirement.

"It will be difficult? Yes. Probably will cry, yes. I'm an open person. It will be very, very difficult, yes," he said.

Ronaldo joined Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United for a second time in late 2022, a move that heralded a influx of late-career stars to the oil-rich kingdom.

Ronaldo initially signed for 200 million euros a year, according to a source close to Al Nassr at the time, and inked a two-year contract extension in June.

Last month, he was named by Bloomberg as the sport's first billionaire, and topped the Forbes list of highest-paid footballers for the sixth time in a decade.

With on-and off-field earnings of an estimated $280 million, Ronaldo will earn more than double that of second-placed rival Lionel Messi during the upcoming season, according to Forbes.

Saudi Arabia, which is spending big on sports and entertainment as part of its economic diversification plan, was named as host of the 2034 World Cup last December.

With inputs from AFP