Cristiano Ronaldo surprises everyone with retirement news and shares his future plans.
The final chapter is getting closer. In a recent interview, Cristiano Ronaldo shared that this season will “probably” be his last as a professional footballer as he talked about his future plans.
Even at 41, Ronaldo is still going strong. Last season, he scored 28 goals in the Saudi Pro League, finishing as the third-highest scorer. He’s now very close to reaching 1,000 goals in all competitions. So far, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has scored 976 goals in 1,326 games.
Ronaldo recently rejoined his Al Nassr teammates but missed the team’s first game of the season against Al Fateh due to a busy summer playing for Portugal in the World Cup.
What’s next for one of football’s greatest players? Speaking to Vogue, Ronaldo said this year will “probably” be his final season.
“I want to leave an amazing legacy,” he said. Looking ahead, 24 years after his start with Sporting Lisbon, he shared, “I’ve already planned my future. I have so many things to keep me busy that it’s hard to pick just one. Since football can leave a big gap, I need to fill my time in different ways, not just one.”
He added, “I want to have more fun, travel more, play padel (which I really enjoy), and keep enjoying what I’ve achieved—what we’ve achieved. It’s been 25 years full of hard work.”
Ronaldo has hinted before about life after football. In 2023, he said he might like to own a football club one day.
“I don’t rule out becoming a club owner,” he said at an event for his bottled water business. “It’s something I thought about a few years ago. I probably would like to own a club. I’m at the end of my career, maybe two to three years left.”
He seems to be leaning more toward business after retirement instead of coaching. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner made it clear he’s not planning to become a manager.
“When I leave the national team, I won’t announce it in advance. It will be a sudden but well-thought-out decision,” Ronaldo told Portuguese magazine NOW.
“I’m not thinking about coaching any team. It’s never crossed my mind. I don’t see my future going that way. I want to do other things outside football, but only God knows what the future holds.”