Cristiano Ronaldo is nearing the end of his illustrious career. At 41, the Portuguese striker for Al-Nassr has made one of his most explicit statements about his retirement, confirming that the 2026-2027 season will likely be his last as a professional footballer. "This is probably my last year of football and I want to leave a spectacular legacy ," the five-time Ballon d'Or winner told Vogue . This announcement sets a much clearer timeframe for the end of a professional career that began in 2002.
Retirement is being considered at the end of the 2026-2027 season.
Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet officially announced a definitive retirement date. The use of the word "probably" leaves the door open. But the Portuguese star has never before so directly presented the current season as potentially the last of his career. His contract with Al-Nassr runs until June 2027. If he confirms his decision, Ronaldo could therefore leave professional football at the expiration of his contract with the Saudi club. The Portuguese player had already acknowledged on several occasions that retirement was approaching. He recently mentioned a deadline of one or two years from now. This time, his timeline seems to have become considerably clearer.
"I want to leave a spectacular legacy."
At 41, Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't simply want to end his career. He wants to use his final months on the pitch to add to his already exceptional list of achievements and statistics. The Portuguese star has surpassed 950 career goals and continues to approach the symbolic milestone of 1,000 goals in official matches. This quest represents one of the last major individual objectives of his career, even if the goals scored in the Saudi league, a second-tier competition, should be considered in context.
As a reminder, since his professional debut with Sporting Lisbon in 2002, Ronaldo has successively played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and then Al-Nassr. He has won five Ballon d'Or awards and five Champions League titles, four of them with Real Madrid.
The 2026 World Cup was his last
The summer of 2026 also marked the end of another chapter. Cristiano Ronaldo confirmed that this year's World Cup would be the last of his career. He will have participated in six World Cups, a record for longevity at the highest level. The only major trophy missing from his collection is, of course, the World Cup. With Portugal, Ronaldo did, however, win Euro 2016 as well as two Nations Leagues. He also holds numerous records with the Portuguese national team and remains the all-time leading scorer in men's international football.
Life after football is already being prepared
Cristiano Ronaldo also insists he has planned for his new life. "My future is fully planned ," he explains. After roughly 25 years dedicated to professional football, the Portuguese star wants to spend more time with his family, travel, and play padel, a sport he particularly enjoys. Ronaldo acknowledges that retiring from football risks creating a considerable void after a life organized almost exclusively around competition and training. He therefore intends to pursue a variety of activities once his career is over.
One last season for Cristiano Ronaldo
Unless there's a change of heart, the 2026-2027 season could well become the final chapter of Cristiano Ronaldo's career. The striker will continue his adventure with Al-Nassr, with several goals still ahead of him: to keep scoring, try to add more trophies to his collection, and get even closer to the historic milestone of 1,000 goals. After more than two decades at the top, Cristiano Ronaldo has finally uttered the words the football world has been waiting for for years: the end of his career is now very near.
