Cristiano Ronaldo hints at retirement

Cristiano Ronaldo is widely seen as one of the greatest football players of all time. This is a career that has spanned 1,297 games for club and country, with 952 goals scored.

During his glittering career, he has managed to win the Ballon d’Or on five occasions. This is in addition to five UEFA Champions League winners medals, three Premier League titles, two La Liga titles and two Serie A triumphs, amongst many other notable trophies.

At the international level, whilst he has never won a FIFA World Cup, or even scored a goal in the knockout stages of the tournament, he has managed to lift a UEFA European Championship and two Nations Leagues.

However, Ronaldo is 40 years old and will be 41 when this season comes to an end. Every football fan knows that the end of his career is approaching and a lot of people have earmarked the 2026 World Cup as the potential location of Ronaldo’s last dance.

It would not just be Ronaldo that could have his final moments in the United States, Canada or Mexico, but also other football icon Lionel Messi, who was for so long his rival on the pitch as they took it in turns to win all but two of the Ballon d’Or awards between 2008 and 2023.

Cristiano Ronaldo has recently spoken on the eventuality of retirement as the reality of this happening dooms ever close, saying: “Yes, I can imagine my retirement. It will be soon.”

He continued: “But I will be prepared… it will be difficult, I will cry for sure! I think I will be prepared… everything has an end, so I will have more times for other things”

His retirement would bring to end of the greatest careers in football history. Originally seen as a showboat winger for United, he developed his game and went on to become a lethal poacher and arguably the greatest goalscorer the game has ever seen.

It will be an emotional occasion for Ronaldo and the crowd of his final ever game.