Cristiano Ronaldo to retire ‘soon’, hints he will not stay in football

Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted that he will not remain in football when he retires from playing, saying he wants to spend more time with his family and pursue “other passions”.

In an interview with Piers Morgan, the former UK newspaper editor and TV show host, Ronaldo said he would retire “soon” and admitted that it would be “very, very difficult”.

The 40-year-old, who began his professional career 23 years ago with Sporting CP in Lisbon, Portugal, is under contract with Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr until June 2027 and plans to compete in the World Cup with Portugal in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

Asked by Morgan if he has an age in mind for retirement, Ronaldo said: “Soon. But I think I will be prepared. It will be tough, of course. Will be difficult, yes. Probably I will cry, yes … It will be very, very difficult but I’ve prepared my future since (I was) 25, 26, 27 years old. So I think I will be capable to support that pressure.”

Ronaldo has five children with fiancee Georgina Rodriguez, including Cristiano Jnr – who is currently on the books of Al Nassr and has represented Portugal at youth level.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who told Morgan he had achieved one of his life goals by becoming a billionaire aged 39, also has a burgeoning media presence, with 77 million subscribers on YouTube, a property empire and a diverse business portfolio around his CR7 brand — including products like underwear and aftershave.

Ronaldo is also the global ambassador for the Esports World Cup 2025, an annual tournament which takes place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Nothing will compare to the adrenaline we have for football to score a goal,” Ronaldo added.

“But I have other passions. (When I retire) I’m going to have more time for me, have more time for my family, to raise my kids … I want to be more a family person, more present. Also, to have my own hobbies. I like to see UFC, the fights. I like padel.

“I like and I want to learn more about my companies. I’ll never be a YouTuber, of course, but I want to be there. I’m going to spend more time on that to learn.

“I think I’m going to do funny things and things I’m not used to doing before. Because I live football 24 hours (a day) to do the right things and perform.”

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