Football fans are now ramping up the speculation over Ronaldo’s retirement after the Portuguese star confirmed the coming year will likely be his last on the pitch.
The 41-year-old Portugal captain has been an active player for over 20 years since his debut for Sporting in 2002. Since then he has added to his list of great trophies won with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo also has five Ballon d’Or championships to his name and is Portugal’s top attacker. But one big accolade has yet to come his way: The FIFA World Cup. This year, Portugal fell short in the tournament, and that is the largest international trophy which is not in his collection.
Ronaldo told Vogue in an interview on Sunday that this is likely his final season of football, and he wants to leave “a spectacular legacy.
The forward has collected an incredible 976 goals in over 20 years of playing at the highest level for club and country.
Ronaldo’s words don’t define a retirement date, as the term ‘probably’ gives some leeway. However, this one was the easiest sign so far that he may be reaching the end of his playing days. His eventual retirement would end one of the most influential careers in modern football, having seen his playing career cross several different top European clubs before the Saudi Arabia adventure.
Ronaldo is still intent on football now with Al-Nassr and Portugal. With the veteran forward admitting the coming season may be his last, the focus will be more on how one of the sport’s most iconic career will conclude.
