Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, said he believes this year will "probably" be his last as a professional footballer. In an interview with Vogue magazine, Ronaldo added that he wanted to "leave an exceptional legacy" upon retiring from a sport in which he has scored more than 950 goals with clubs and national teams.
Ronaldo indicated that his future after football is "completely mapped out" and that he has "many things" that will keep him busy. He mentioned that among his favourite activities are travelling and other pursuits, though he noted that "as football can leave a great void, you have to fill your time in different ways, not just one".
His comments come weeks after he took part in the 2026 World Cup with the Portuguese national team, which was the sixth and final World Cup appearance of his career. Before the tournament, Ronaldo stated that the 2026 edition would be his last World Cup, though he emphasised at that time that he would retire "when he wants to, not when others want him to".
Ronaldo told Vogue that he wants to "keep enjoying what I have won, what we have won. In the end it was 25 years full of sacrifices". He recently married Argentine Georgina Rodríguez in a private ceremony held at the coastal complex of Cascáis in Portugal.
Ronaldo is expected to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr for the next Saudi Pro League season. The Portuguese national team captain is tied to the club by contract until 2027, so he could end his footballing career in the Saudi league.
