Cristiano Ronaldo says this is probably his last year of football, and he wants to leave a spectacular legacy when it ends. Speaking to Vogue, the Cristiano Ronaldo forward said he will retire when he wants to, not when anyone else does. At 41, the words carry obvious weight, even with the end still framed as probably rather than definite.
Ronaldo's own timing
The most striking part of the message is the control he is insisting on. "I will retire when I want to, not when you want," Ronaldo said, which leaves no room for anyone else to set the schedule.
That sits alongside the line that he wants to "leave a spectacular legacy." He has spent 25 years at the top level, and he said that stretch has been very sacrificed. The point is less about regret than about how he wants the final chapter to read.
There is also the broader context of what he has already done for Portugal. He has 146 goals for his country and has played in six World Cups, scoring in all six tournaments. Those numbers are part of why retirement talk around him still lands differently from the usual late-career noise.
The 1,000-goal chase
The other reason this has not settled into a simple farewell is the milestone still sitting in front of him. Ronaldo is on 976 senior goals for club and country, 24 short of 1,000.
That chase has given the retirement conversation a second layer. He has not said he will stay until 1,000, and the sources do not pin him to an exact exit date. One line links the end to this year, while another places more emphasis on a broader post-football future, but both keep the same basic idea intact: Ronaldo wants the decision to be his.
He has also said he already has his future planned, with travel, padel and other interests waiting once football stops. For now, though, the key number is still 976, and the next step in the story is whether he adds to that total before the season ends.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
