Cristiano Ronaldo Announces 2026 Will Be His Last World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo was born on the 5th of February 1985, and later that year, Shakin’ Stevens would have the Christmas Number 1 with Merry Christmas Everyone. He made his debut for Manchester United on the 16th of August 2003 (Ronaldo, that is, not Shakin’ Stevens!), having played for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal before that. That means that his playing career overlapped with Roberto Baggio, for example, a player who was born in 1967, while his Portugal debut came alongside legends such as Luis Figo and Fernando Couto.

Cristiano Ronaldo made his Portugal debut in 2003 at 18 years old.

22 years later and he’s still scoring in international finals 🐐 pic.twitter.com/XsD5u4smk9

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) June 8, 2025

Those names are from the sport’s past, but remarkably, the evergreen Ronaldo is still playing both club and international football. Many fans and experts rate Lionel Messi as the better player of the two, but it seems unlikely that the Argentine will match CR7’s incredible longevity. The Portuguese ace has set all sorts of records, some of which may never be broken – though Messi may well give it his best shot.

Ronaldo has played a staggering 225 games for his country, notching an equally incredible 143 goals. Over his whole career, he is closing in on 1,000 career goals, while he has played over 1,300 pro games. He has appeared at six European Championships, and 2026 is set to be his sixth World Cup.

Sixth and Last

On the 11th of November, the legendary attacker revealed that the 2026 World Cup in North America would be his last. No player has ever played at six editions of the global extravaganza, although Messi is set to join him should both appear in the competition jointly hosted by Canada, the USA and Mexico next year.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Major Tournament Record with Portugal

Ronaldo already holds, by himself, the record for the most Euros played in, his six being one more than Luka Modric and compatriot Pepe. They are both retired, yet Ronaldo hasn’t entirely ruled out appearing at the Euros in 2028.

Interviewed in Saudi Arabia, where he now plays his club football for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo was asked whether 2026 would be his last World Cup. He replied:

“Definitely, yes. I will be 41 years old and I think [this] will be the moment in the big competition”.

He had recently revealed that he would retire “soon”, but had not given any sort of specific timeframe for that. However, speaking at the Tourise Summit in Saudi Arabia on the 11th, he confirmed that:

“Let’s be honest, when I mean soon, it’s probably one or two years I’ll still be at the game.”

On balance, the chances of him playing in a record-extending seventh Euros are slim. The 2028 Euros are due to be played in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The appeal of bowing out in England, where Ronaldo grew up as a footballer with Man United, may be great, but the reality is that the tournament is not scheduled to kick off until the 9th of June.

That is 940 days away, or around two and a half years. It is perfectly plausible that Ronaldo is still playing football at that time but, at the age of 43 (and a third!), will he really still be able to command a place in the Portugal squad? It all seems unlikely to say the least, but the man with more international goals and appearances than anyone in history is clearly no stranger to making the improbable – and perhaps even impossible – happen.

Commitment Means Anything is Possible

Ronaldo has long been held up as a role model for anyone who wanted to understand how commitment, desire and hard work are needed just as much as raw talent. He is obviously supremely gifted, but his career has outshone so many rivals and lasted so long due to his desire to eke every last drop of potential out of himself.

Back in 2008, the former Blackpool and QPR manager Ian Holloway famously commented on the Portuguese legend. He said, “He’s six foot something, fit as a flea, good looking – he’s got to have something wrong with him. Hopefully he’s hung like a hamster – that would make us all feel better. Having said that, me missus has got a pet hamster at home, and his ****’s massive.” Well, quite.

We wouldn’t want to comment on Ronaldo’s body, but 17 years on from that, it is beyond doubt that he remains “fit as a flea”. His dedication and training regimen, plus his commitment to recovery through things like optimising sleep, ice baths, and novel treatments is well known.

In an era of social media, CR7 himself is happy to share the work he puts in behind the scenes… more than happy. And while many do not like everything about his image, it is this clear hunger to maintain his fitness for as long as possible that means we simply can’t rule out him appearing at Euro 2028.

His worth on the pitch by then might be minimal, but as a leader, role model, example and maybe, just maybe, super-sub… who knows? So while 2026 is set to be his last World Cup, don’t bank on 2024 being his final Euros.