Courtesy: X
Cristiano Ronaldo, regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all-time, has made headlines by hinting at his retirement from football in a latest interview after playing the AFC Champions League for Al-Nassr. The 39-year-old stated that he doesn’t have “much time left” in his playing career. He also said that individual awards and honours are “not important” to him at this stage.
In his previous match against Al Rayyan in the AFC Champions League, he scored a match-winning goal for Al-Nassr, and led them to a 2-1 victory. At the age of 39, he is still performing well, having scored 50 goals for his team last season and starting this season strong with several goals. Ronaldo dedicated his goal to his late father, who would have celebrated his birthday that day. He said, "Today's goal has a different flavor… I wish my father was alive because today is his birthday."
I’m just enjoying playing football now as I know I don’t have much time left on the pitch: Cristiano Ronaldo
Talking about his future, Cristiano Ronaldo said, “I’m just enjoying playing football now as I know I don’t have much time left on the pitch. It is not important to me now to be the best player or to win awards. What is important to me now is to enjoy and help my team.”
Notably, for the first time in 20 years, Ronaldo and his longtime rival, Lionel Messi, both failed to make the Ballon d'Or shortlist. Despite these changes, Ronaldo remains focused on his goals. He aims to reach 1,000 career goals before retiring. However, his contract with Al-Nasar ends at the end of the season, so his future is unclear. There are also questions about whether he will play for Portugal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It means Ronaldo knows his retirement is getting closer, but still he wants to achieve his goal and is enjoying his remaining time in football. As he soaks in every moment, he remains a prominent figure in football for his achievements and his ongoing contributions to the sport.
