‘I think it will be the moment’: Ronaldo says 2026 World Cup will be his last

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday said next year's World Cup would be his last as he winds down one of the all-time great careers.

"Definitely, yes," he told a Saudi forum by video link, when asked if 2026 would be his World Cup swan song. "I'm gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment."

Meanwhile, Portugal also needs just two points from games against Ireland on Thursday and hosting last-place Armenia on Sunday.

That would send Ronaldo to his sixth World Cup.

Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are heading to their record sixth tournaments to break a tie with Lothar Matthäus, who played at three for West Germany and two with reunified Germany from 1982-98.

After starting his career with Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo enjoyed successful spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus.

Ronaldo joined Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr after leaving United for a second time in 2022.