Cristiano Ronaldo drops retirement bombshell after World Cup heartbreak

Bridget Reilly Sun, August 16, 2026 at 9:28 PM UTC

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Fans better cherish what’s to come because it may just be Cristiano Ronaldo’s swan song.

In an exclusive interview with Vogue alongside his wife Georgina Rodríguez about their wedding, the Portuguese soccer star admitted “this is probably my last year of football.”

“I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” he continued to the outlet. “I have my future all mapped out. I have so many things to keep me busy that to tell you just one thing is hard. Because football could leave a big hole, you have to fill your time in various ways, not just one.

“And also have more fun, travel more, watch and play padel, which I really like, and continue to enjoy what I’ve earned — what we’ve earned. Because after all it’s been 25 years with a lot of sacrifice.”

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal gets emotional at the end of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Getty Images

It’s the biggest career revelation Ronaldo, whose Al Nassr contract runs until June 2027, has made since the FIFA World Cup this summer in the U.S.

After losing in the Round of 16 with Portugal to the eventual World Cup winner, Spain, he announced it was his last World Cup while declining to say when he would retire from football altogether.

“The day will come [when I retire from international football],” Ronaldo said. “But I’ll be honest. Whatever happens [Monday], Cristiano will leave with a clear conscience, not 100 percent, but 1,000 percent. Because I’ve given everything in football. I don’t need it, I have a good life, but it’s about passion. I play football because I love it… You have to enjoy every day. And I’ve scored three goals [at this World Cup], I’m not doing too badly, right?”

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The 41-year-old billionaire, per Forbes, did not experience a title win on the world’s biggest stage before making the call.

It also means he won’t play for his native country when it hosts the World Cup in 2030 with Spain and Morocco, ending a run in playing for Portugal that goes back to 2006.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward scored three goals in total throughout the World Cup this year.

Cristiano Ronaldo #7 of Portugal shoots and misses a chance against Aymeric Laporte #14 of Spain during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 06, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. Getty Images

“It’s been fantastic,” Ronaldo said. “It goes beyond the pitch… This is the World Cup I’ll remember the most, because of people’s passion. It’s even more this time, I don’t know why. It’s been, emotionally, the best. I’ve enjoyed it very much.”

Since the conclusion of the international spectacle, Ronaldo has tied the knot with his longtime partner Rodríguez on Aug. 11.

The two organized an intimate ceremony in their living room in Cascais, Portugal that their five children attended.

Rodríguez revealed to Vogue that they went with a quiet ceremony before a big wedding bash to do something more “unusual” for the family.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”