CRISTIANO RONALDO has confirmed that the 2026 World Cup will be his last.
The Portugal great, with 953 goals for club and country, also revealed he will officially retire from football in “one or two years”.
Ronaldo, 40, is set to compete in a record-shattering sixth consecutive World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.
Portugal sit top of Group F and will secure qualification with a victory over the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.
During a video call at the Riyadh World Tourism summit, the football legend was asked whether the 2026 World Cup would be his final swansong.
Ronaldo – who recently signed the world’s most lucrative contract with Al-Nassr until 2027 – said: “Of course. I’ll be 41 by then.
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“In football, I try to enjoy the moment. I’m 40 years old, so I try to make the most of every moment.
“I want to continue because I feel good, my body is in good shape, and my performances on the field speak for themselves.”
Ronaldo told Piers Morgan Uncensored in an interview last week that he will hang up his boots “soon” and will “cry” when does.
Asked to elaborate on that, he said: “Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years I’ll still be at the game.
“In the national team, I score goals, I help the team, and I want to win trophies.”
Ronaldo holds the record for the most goals and appearances in the history of men’s international football — finding the net 143 times and taking to the pitch on 225 occasions.
Of these goals, a staggering 83 have come after his 30th birthday – which is more than England‘s all-time leading goalscorer Harry Kane‘s total career tally of 76.
But his role for the national team came under intense scrutiny at the last World Cup in Qatar amid the narrative that Portugal were a better team without him due to his lack of defensive work and ability to press.
He was dramatically dropped for Portugal’s round of 16 tie against Switzerland after his angry reaction to being subbed in the final group game against South Korea.
But manager Roberto Martinez’s faith in him has been rewarded with Ronaldo scoring 25 goals in 29 games, a better return than for any of his predecessors.
Ronaldo won the Nations League for the second time in the summer.
But the ultimate prize has always eluded him, with rival Lionel Messi securing World Cup glory with Argentina in Qatar’s December tournament.
Ronaldo came closest to lifting the trophy in his debut campaign in 2006, when Portugal lost to France in the semi-finals.
That was the same tournament where he infamously winked after his United teammate, Wayne Rooney, was sent off in England’s quarter-final defeat on penalties.
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Ronaldo’s current home turf Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 tournament as part of the Gulf state’s £2.5TRILLION mega project.
He previously told Rio Ferdinand’s podcast last year that he wanted to continue playing until he achieved at least 1,000 goals.
Ronaldo’s career in numbers
Games: 1,296
Goals: 953
Total career Assists: 259
Trophies: 34
Ballon d’Ors: five Won in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Champions League Titles: five -All-time record goalscorer in the competition (140+ goals).
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