xtraTime Web Desk

Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be approaching the final chapter of his professional football career. The Portugal legend and captain has revealed that the 2026-27 season could “probably” be his final year in football. Although he has not announced a specific retirement date, his recent comments have made it clear that retirement is now firmly on his mind.

In an interview with Vogue, Ronaldo said, “This will probably be my last year in football. I want to leave a great legacy.”

Even at the age of 41, Ronaldo’s hunger for goals remains undiminished. He has scored 976 goals in 1,330 appearances for club and country, leaving him just 24 goals short of the historic 1,000-goal milestone.

Ronaldo was also in impressive form for Al-Nassr last season. He scored 28 goals in the Saudi Pro League, finishing third in the league’s scoring charts. Across all competitions, he found the net 39 times.

Ronaldo began his career at Sporting CP before moving to Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, eventually returning to Manchester United before joining Al-Nassr in 2023. He scored 450 goals for Real Madrid, 145 across his two spells at Manchester United and 138 for Portugal.

His remarkable career has included five Ballon d’Or awards, five Champions League titles and a European Championship triumph with Portugal.

Ronaldo has already thought about life after football. He said he has “the whole future planned” and has plenty of things that will keep him busy.

However, the Portuguese superstar admits that leaving football will not be easy. He believes retirement could create a major void in his life, which he plans to fill through various activities.

Travelling, spending more time with his family and playing padel are among the things Ronaldo wants to focus on after retirement.

Despite wanting to remain connected to football, Ronaldo has no desire to become a coach. Instead, he has previously expressed an interest in becoming the owner of a football club.

“I’m not ruling out owning a club. I thought about it a few years ago,” Ronaldo said.

Coaching, however, is not part of his plans. Ronaldo has made it clear that he has never seriously considered coaching a team.

For now, though, his complete focus remains on the pitch. With 1,000 career goals just 24 strikes away, one of the biggest questions in world football is whether Ronaldo can reach the extraordinary milestone before calling time on his career.

Ronaldo has not yet revealed an exact retirement date. But if his latest comments prove accurate, the 2026-27 season could mark the final chapter of one of the greatest football careers the world has ever witnessed.