Cristiano Ronaldo has signaled that his illustrious football career is nearing its end, stating that the current season will likely be his last. The 41-year-old, who recently married his partner Georgina Rodriguez this past Tuesday, is now contemplating a future centered on his family.
A five-time Ballon d’Or and five-time Champions League winner, Ronaldo has secured league titles in England, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. He remains the all-time top goalscorer in men’s international football and led Portugal to their first major tournament victory at Euro 2016.
Currently, the Portugal captain is in his fourth year with Saudi Pro League champions Al-Nassr, with one year remaining 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 regarding his wedding.
Reflecting on his transition, he added, “I have my future all mapped out. I have so many things to keep me busy that to tell you just one thing is hard. Because football could leave a big hole, you have to fill your time in various ways, not just one.” He expressed a desire to “have more fun, travel more, watch and play padel, which I really like, and continue to enjoy what I’ve earned—what we’ve earned. Because after all it’s been 25 years with a lot of sacrifice.”
Ronaldo is currently 24 goals away from reaching the milestone of 1,000 senior career goals. His long-time rival Lionel Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or a record eight times, also recently expressed uncertainty regarding how much longer he will continue his own playing career.
The players’ respective World Cup campaigns could hardly have looked more different as Messi scored eight goals and led Argentina all the way to the final, while Ronaldo’s Portugal bowed out in the round of 16. When asked in July if his sixth World Cup would be his final appearance, Ronaldo noted he would decide “with a calm head” after consulting his family.
Al-Nassr opened their Saudi Pro League title defense against Al Fateh on Saturday. While Ronaldo did not participate in the match, he watched the victory from the stands alongside his family. Having grown up in poverty on the island of Madeira, Ronaldo has since become football’s first billionaire player and remains one of the most recognizable figures on the planet.
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