Cristiano Ronaldo is turning 40 in three weeks but the Portuguese superstar has shown no signs of slowing down as yet. Opening the 2025 calendar year with a goal for Al-Nassr, Ronaldo entered the scoresheet for a 24th year in succession starting 2002.
With the deficit to 1,000 career goals progressively shrinking, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could possibly stretch his career a little further upto 2026 for a sixth World Cup appearance. Ronaldo will be 41 before the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
While there may be doubts over his potential presence in another global event, Ronaldo’s Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes remains optimistic. “I not only believe, but I’m almost certain that he’ll be there. It would be great if Cristiano Ronaldo fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup with the national team, not only for him, but for us Portuguese people. We really want to give that to our country. For him, as the ultimate reference in our football, it would be the best way to end,” the Manchester United skipper told TNT Sports.
The World Cup trophy is the only major silverware missing in Ronaldo’s cabinet and the long-standing rivalry with Lionel Messi.
“Even if he won the World Cup, I don’t know if he would like to stop or go a little further. There are always things to improve and learn. You can see that in Cristiano, who wants to do more every year, wants to be better. For those who still have doubts, he does more and more. For us, the most important thing is to go to the World Cup and win. It’s the dream of all of us, of Cristiano Ronaldo’s fans and of our country,” Fernandes added.
Ronaldo is the only player to have scored at five different FIFA World Cup editions, appearing in every tournament since 2006. With his international record standing at a staggering 135 goals from 217 appearances, Ronaldo could potentially be the first man to appear in six World Cup finals.
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