Cristiano Ronaldo Claims Latest Honor While Unveiling His Final Two Career Goals

Cristiano Ronaldo discussed his future career aspirations following another individual honor received in Portugal this week, acknowledging his 22-year commitment to representing his country.

The Portuguese superstar will turn 41 in February but remains under contract with Al Nassr through 2027 and anticipates participating in his sixth World Cup next year—alongside Lionel Messi, they will collectively surpass the tournament appearance record established by Germany's Lothar Matthäus in 1998.

The five-time Ballon d'Or recipient acknowledged his remaining time is limited and he no longer fixates on specific objectives as intensely as during his younger days. However, capturing the World Cup with Portugal, who have never placed better than third (1966), remains a cherished ambition.

Ronaldo, football's first billionaire, guided Portugal to their inaugural major international championship at Euro 2016, though he witnessed Messi lead Argentina to triumph at the previous World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

"I believe I still have significant contributions to make to the national squad and to football. I intend to continue playing for several more years, though not many, I must be truthful," he stated on stage, according to Record.

"I want to express gratitude to all my teammates, for learning from each of them—including this newer generation. For me, it's an honor to be alongside you. Our objective is to secure the next two [qualifying] matches and reach the World Cup. The World Cup approaches quickly. We must focus entirely on the present, while keeping our vision forward. It would be a dream [to win it].

He continued: "But gradually. Naturally, our aim is to reach the World Cup and triumph, as we all desire, but we must proceed step by step."

Portugal will face Republic of Ireland and Hungary in upcoming matches. Two wins in those encounters, provided Armenia also fails to earn more than one point from their fixtures, would secure qualification for the 2026 tournament in North America immediately, with two additional games remaining.

Ronaldo: Passion Fueling Quest for 1,000 Goals

Throughout 23 years with Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr and Portugal, Ronaldo has become football's all-time leading scorer. His professional career total reaches 946 official goals, including the global record for most international goals in men's football with 141.

Just 54 additional goals would bring him to 1,000, making him the first player to achieve four digits—totals exceeding this benchmark claimed by Brazilian icons Pelé (1,279) and Romário (1,002) remain disputed as they include goals from unofficial or unrecognized competitions.

"I maintain a passion for [playing football]," Ronaldo explained. "My family suggests it's time to retire and questions why I want to reach 1,000 goals when I've already scored around 900. But internally, I disagree. I'm still delivering quality performances, assisting my club and the national team.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Career Statistics

"Why not continue? I'm confident that when it concludes, I'll depart satisfied because I gave everything. It's about savoring the present. I understand I don't have many remaining years to play, but whatever time I have left, I must maximize it.

"I'll be frank," he added, "…I don't view it as an obsession. If you had asked me two decades ago, I might have responded differently, like wanting to conquer everything, but now I don't perceive things that way. Maturity also enables us to think differently. I embrace a philosophy of living moment by moment. In daily life, circumstances shift instantly. You cannot create long-term strategies.

"Currently, I develop short-term objectives because it provides me with greater energy, more enthusiasm for living. I appreciate each day, every training session and each competition. Eventually, we'll see what happens."