Cristiano Ronaldo confirms 2026 World Cup with Portugal will be his last: ‘I’m enjoying this moment’

No matter what, the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will be a monumental occasion due to the stature of the tournament and the expansion to 48 teams, but this could also be the end of an era. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has stated that this World Cup could be his last when speaking about potential retirement during an interview at the TUTISE tourism forum in Saudi Arabia.

“Sure, it’s true because I’ll be 41 years old, and I think in this great competition, I don’t know … As I said, I’m enjoying this moment,” Ronaldo said.

He did walk back a bit of when retirement could come, joking that soon could mean as much as 10 years for him, but if this is Ronaldo’s final World Cup, it will also be his last chance to win one. He has won the UEFA European Championship with Portugal in 2016 as well as the UEFA Nations League twice in 2019 and 2025, but he has never lifted the World Cup, which is one of the few trophies that he hasn’t held in his illustrious career.

Last week, in an interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo also spoke about his World Cup ambitions.

“Winning the World Cup isn’t a dream for me. Winning one tournament doesn’t prove you’re one of the greatest players in history. It’s just six or seven matches, that’s not fair.” 

That doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t like to win one, especially since Lionel Messi was able to secure his first World Cup title in 2022 with Argentina, and La Albiceleste are among the favorites to win this tournament as well. It’s hard to imagine a World Cup without Ronaldo leading the line for Portugal, but it could become a reality sooner than later.