After 23 years of carrying Portugal’s shirt, Cristiano Ronaldo has decided it is time to step away from the national team. The 41-year-old announced his retirement on Thursday, closing one of the most decorated international careers in football history.
But the news does not mean the end of the road for the forward, who still has unfinished business at club level in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo remains under contract with Al Nassr, as he signed a two-year extension in 2025, keeping him in Riyadh until mid-June 2027.
That timeline gives the campaign extra weight, and Ronaldo seems to know it. Free from the demands of the national team, he arrives at this new stage in the best possible shape, fresh off a hat trick in Al Nassr’s 5-3 win over Al Kholood that took his career tally to 985 goals, just 15 away from the historic 1,000.
It was the perfect reminder that, at 41, his appetite for goals has not faded: he has scored nine times in 12 appearances this season, with eight of those goals coming in just 10 Saudi Pro League games and another in the AFC Champions League.
What could come after 2027?
How Ronaldo’s career ends is still an open question, and not even he seems to have the answer. Ahead of Portugal’s Nations League opener against Wales in September, the forward was asked directly about retirement and chose humor over clarity.
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He admitted he simply does not know, explaining that since his early thirties he has lived in the moment rather than planning for tomorrow. He did not rule retirement out, acknowledging it was possible and even likely at some point, but refused to put a date on it.
What he did promise was how the news would arrive. When a reporter asked whether the Portuguese public would be the first to know, Ronaldo pushed back on the idea, saying: “I’ll tell the world, not just the Portuguese”.
The next question is about his club’s future. The forward could extend his stay at Al Nassr once more, look for a last challenge elsewhere or hang up his boots when his current contract expires. At the moment, nothing has been confirmed on any of those paths.
What does seem clear is that his retirement from Portugal frees up his schedule and his body. Without the long international breaks and the pressure of the national team, Ronaldo can focus fully on Al Nassr and on reaching the 1,000-goal mark.
