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Cristiano Ronaldo has strongly suggested that the 2026–27 season will serve as the final chapter of his playing career, bringing to a close roughly 25 years since he made his debut for Sporting CP at the age of 17.
Ronaldo will turn 42 in February and is contracted through June with Al Nassr, who kicked off their new Saudi Pro League title defense on Saturday without the five-time Ballon d'Or holder, defeating Al Fateh in the process. He has only recently returned from a summer break that included his wedding to longtime partner Georgina Rodríguez, held in an intimate ceremony in Portugal.
The couple finally tied the knot a decade after their first encounter at a Gucci store in Madrid, celebrating ten years together. Georgina spoke with Vogue in an interview filmed five days before the private ceremony—which took place at their new summer residence in the affluent coastal town of Cascais near Lisbon—revealing that a "big wedding with family and friends" would come "in the future."
Just four witnesses—none of whom were Ronaldo's relatives—along with their five children were present at the event. She described it as a "crazy year" packed with "work commitments, competitions, kids."
But Ronaldo will soon find himself with considerably more free time.
In the wide-ranging joint interview, he shared: "This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy."
1,000 Goals Will Complete Cristiano Ronaldo's 'Spectacular Legacy'
This isn't the first time he has pointed to 2027 as his retirement date. Last year, Ronaldo indicated "one or two years" remained in his career, which aligns with the end of the $470 million deal he signed with Al Nassr in June 2025. He has already played his final World Cup, with the 2026 tournament described by his older sister Kátia Aveiro as his "last dance" representing Portugal.
Ronaldo already holds world records for international appearances (233) and goals (146) in men's football. Yet an even greater milestone remains within his grasp: 1,000 career goals.
Beyond eight league titles across four countries, four domestic cups, five UEFA Champions League trophies, and a historic 2016 European Championship—among 35 honors at club and international level—Ronaldo is tantalizingly close to 1,000 officially recognized goals.
No player in football history has ever reached that mark. Lionel Messi is the only other player to have surpassed 900 goals, yet still sits 79 short of 1,000. Brazilian legend Pelé claimed during his lifetime to have netted 1,281 goals, but hundreds of those came in unofficial friendlies and exhibition matches, leaving his official total at 757—a record Ronaldo eclipsed back in 2021.
To date, Ronaldo has found the net 976 times across his stints at Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr, and the Portuguese national team. While age is making it increasingly difficult, and his annual goal tally at Al Nassr has gradually declined, he still managed 30 goals in 37 appearances last season and needs just 24 more across all competitions in 2026–27 to reach the historic 1,000-goal landmark.