Cristiano Ronaldo hints 2026-27 season could be his final year in football

Cristiano Ronaldo has indicated that the 2026-27 season could be the final year of his professional football career, bringing the 41-year-old Portugal superstar closer to retirement after more than two decades at the highest level.

“This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” Ronaldo told Vogue, while acknowledging that he is unlikely to continue beyond his current Al-Nassr contract, which runs until June 2027.

Ronaldo is currently in his 25th season as a professional. Since making his senior debut for Sporting CP in 2002, he has represented Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr, winning five Ballon d'Or awards and five UEFA Champions League titles. He has scored 976 career goals for club and country and is now just 24 goals away from the unprecedented 1,000-goal milestone.

The Portuguese forward enjoyed a memorable 2025-26 campaign, scoring 28 Saudi Pro League goals as Al-Nassr won the league title in May. The triumph delivered Ronaldo his first major trophy with the Riyadh club and ended Al-Nassr's wait for a league championship since 2019.

Ronaldo recently married longtime partner Georgina Rodriguez and has already begun thinking about life after football. He said he wants to travel more, play padel and enjoy the rewards of a career built on 25 years of sacrifice.

He watched from the stands as Al-Nassr opened their title defence with a 3-0 win over Al-Fateh on August 15, with Ange Postecoglou beginning his tenure as coach with a victory. Ronaldo could return against Al-Diriyah in the King's Cup on August 18.

His comments come shortly after Lionel Messi also expressed uncertainty about continuing his own career, potentially signalling the approaching end of an era defined by football's two modern superstars.