The 2026 World Cup will most likely not be the final chapter in Cristiano Ronaldo’s career, according to renowned journalist Ben Jacobs, who has identified the most likely date for the Portuguese legend’s retirement.
Ronaldo is currently working towards two final goals in his career: first, reaching 1,000 career goals, a milestone he is relatively close to achieving with 960 goals; and second, winning the 2020 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico with the Portuguese national team.
According to Ben Jacobs, the 40-year-old Ronaldo’s primary plan is to fulfill his contract with Al-Nassr, meaning he will remain with the club until the summer of 2027 and then retire. Afterward, he will immediately become involved in the Saudi club’s management.
The option of staying until 2027 would give Ronaldo the opportunity to achieve his goal of scoring 1,000 goals, and it is unlikely – at this point – that even if he wins the 2026 World Cup, he will decide to retire immediately afterward.
Under the contract he signed months ago to extend his stay at Al-Ahli Park, Ronaldo already owns 15% of Al-Nassr’s shares, a stake that is likely to increase. He is already involved, in one way or another, in some decisions regarding new signings, coaches, and other matters.
It is said that Al-Nassr’s management will try to renew Ronaldo’s contract for another year. However, the living legend will most likely have reached the end of his playing career after a professional journey that began in 2004, during which he achieved every possible accomplishment.
Ronaldo began his career with Sporting Lisbon, then moved to Manchester United, where he became one of the world’s biggest stars and won his first Ballon d’Or in 2008. He then transferred to Real Madrid for €100 million and achieved numerous remarkable accomplishments until 2018.
Ronaldo’s career began to decline after his move to Juventus, followed by his decision to choose Manchester City over Manchester United in 2021. However, disagreements with manager Erik ten Hag led to his departure from the Red Devils in the winter of 2023, when he joined Al-Nassr on a free transfer.
