Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and UEFA Champions League champion, has opened up about his plans for life after professional soccer. In an interview published Sunday, the Portuguese icon told Vogue, “This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy.”
The 41-year-old admitted that stepping away from the sport could create a significant void in his life, but said he is ready for what comes next.
“I have my future all mapped out,” Ronaldo said. “I have so many things to keep me busy that it’s difficult to name just one. Football could leave a big hole, so you have to fill your time in different ways—not just one. I also want to have more fun, travel more, watch and play padel, which I really enjoy, and continue appreciating what I’ve earned—what we’ve earned. After all, it’s been 25 years of tremendous sacrifice.”
Ronaldo is under contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr through June 2027. He has previously said the 2026 World Cup would be his final appearance in the tournament, but he had offered only vague comments about his long-term future in professional soccer, saying in late 2025 that he believed he still had one or two years left.
