“I always thought that the body retired the player. With him, I’m convinced that it’s the brain that retires the footballer.” That is the description made in MARCA by Roberto Martinez weeks ago to define the figure of a Cristiano Ronaldo who is 41 years old in one of the most atypical moments of his career, but still many challenges ahead before saying ‘enough’.
It is a mystery what will have gone through his head during the last few days after a frenetic few days and constant rumours after he declared himself in ‘rebellion’ following the transfer of Karim Benzema to Al Hilal. In Portugal, in fact, it was even speculated that he might activate the 50 million clause stipulated in his contract to leave Al Nassr.
However, life does not stop and, although it may seem infinite, Cristiano’s biological clock forced him to make a decision: to maintain the pulse he maintains with the PIF or, on the contrary, to back down after missing the clash against Al Riyadh which ended in a narrow victory for Al Nassr that put them fully in the fight for the Saudi Pro League title.
I always thought that the body retired the player. With him, I’m convinced that it’s the brain that retires the footballer
With little to gain and the clash against Al Ittihad next Friday marked on the calendar, Cristiano posted a photo on social media in the afternoon training with Al Nassr to put an end to the mystery andwill blow out the candles with two clear wishes: to be in full fitness for the 2026 World Cup, where Portugal is among the favorites, and to face the final stretch in his race towards a thousand goals as a professional.
“It’s hard to keep playing, but I still have the passion and I’m motivated. It doesn’t matter where I play, in the Middle East or in Europe, I always want to win more titles and reach the figure that everyone knows. I’m sure I’ll achieve it if there are no injuries,” said Cristiano at the Globe Soccer Awards gala
It is up to him to put his boots back on. Jorge Jesus would certainly be delighted with this and, above all, is fully convinced that Cristiano will reach the thousand-goal mark. “I use him as an example. I can confirm that he will reach 1,000 goals in 2026. People do not realise how hungry and in the physical condition he is in.”
At the moment, after his last goal against Al Kholood, Cristiano has 962 goals. He is 38 goals away from reaching a never-before-seen and practically unrepeatable challenge. However, with 15 rounds still to be played in the SPL and, at least, two matches in the AFC Champions League 2, it seems unlikely that Cristiano will arrive on time for the World Cup
“Winning the World Cup will not change my name in the history of football. I’m not going to lie,” the Portuguese admitted last November in an interview with Piers Morgan. He is not wrong, because his legacy in the world of football was already written a long time ago.
Winning the World Cup will not change my name in the history of football
On his 41st birthday, Cristiano is aware that there is still work to be done: the thousand goals, the World Cup… and the dream of playing with his son. “Sometimes he tells me: ‘Dad, hold on a few more years because I want to play with you’. That’s why I train as if I were a 20-year-old kid”. In his dictionary there is no such thing as ‘limit’ and he continues to prove that he will retire from football and not the other way around.
