Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested that the 2026-27 season may be his final campaign as a professional footballer, saying he will “probably” retire at the end of the season.
“This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” Ronaldo told Vogue.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain has not formally announced his retirement, but his comments represent his strongest indication yet that he is contemplating the end of his playing career.
Ronaldo still has major milestones within reach. He has scored 976 goals in 1,330 appearances for club and country and needs just 24 more goals to reach the landmark figure of 1,000.
His form at Al Nassr has also remained impressive. He scored 28 goals in the Saudi Pro League last season, finishing third in the league’s scoring charts, while finding the net 39 times across all competitions.
Those performances have come after an extraordinary career that began at Sporting CP and took him to Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus before his return to United and subsequent move to Al Nassr in 2023.
Ronaldo has scored 450 goals for Real Madrid, 145 during his two spells at Manchester United and 138 for Portugal. He has also won five Ballon d’Or awards, five Champions League titles and the European Championship with Portugal.
At 41, he remains Portugal’s captain and one of Al Nassr’s key attacking players. However, he is now speaking more openly about what his life could look like after football.
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL
Ronaldo has already begun considering how he will spend his time once his playing career comes to an end.
He said he has his future planned and has plenty of activities that could keep him occupied, making it difficult to name just one.
The Portuguese star also acknowledged that retiring from football would be challenging because the sport could leave a significant void in his life.
He said that the time previously devoted to football would need to be filled with different activities rather than just one pursuit.
Among the things Ronaldo wants to do more frequently after retirement are travelling and playing padel, a sport he particularly enjoys. He also wants to spend more time appreciating what he has accomplished after 25 years of sacrifice.
His comments came shortly after his marriage to Georgina Rodriguez. The couple reportedly tied the knot in a private ceremony at their home in Cascais, Portugal.
BUSINESS, NOT COACHING
Ronaldo has previously indicated that he would like to remain involved in football after retirement, but has ruled out becoming a coach.
In 2023, he said that owning a football club was something he could potentially pursue, describing it as an idea he had considered for several years.
He said he would probably like to own a football club and suggested at the time that he could have only two or three years remaining in his playing career.
Coaching, however, does not interest him. Ronaldo has said he is not considering managing a first-team squad or taking up any coaching role, explaining that he does not see his future in that direction.
Instead, he said he expects to pursue other activities outside football, while acknowledging that only God knows what the future holds.
For now, Ronaldo remains focused on his career and the pursuit of 1,000 goals.
With 24 goals still required to reach the landmark, whether he can achieve the feat before retiring is likely to be one of the biggest storylines surrounding the final phase of his career.
Ronaldo has not specified an exact retirement date, but based on his latest comments, the 2026-27 season could mark the end of his remarkable playing career.
