Ronaldo hints at when he will finally retire

Cristiano Ronaldo playfully hinted at when he might retire from professional football. The Al-Nassr forward was speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai when asked about his retirement plans.

After initially teasing with the response 'soon,' the 38-year-old jokingly suggested that he could play for another decade.

"When I finish, I don't know, to be honest," Ronaldo said.

"Actually, it will be soon; soon, I mean another 10 years."

"No, I'm joking; I don't know, let's see."

The Portuguese star is currently the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League this season with 20 goals, three ahead of his closest competitor Aleksandar Mitrovic.

He finished as the top scorer in world football in 2023, scoring 54 goals for club and country in the 2023 calendar year – surpassing Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.

Ronaldo, who is expected to play a prominent role in the 2024 UEFA European Championship this summer, also claimed that the Saudi Pro League was better in quality than France's Ligue 1.

"I think the Saudi league is not worse than the French league. In Ligue 1, you have two or three good teams," he said.

"In Saudi, it's more competitive. People can say what they want, but I have my opinion, and I played there for a year to know what I'm talking about. Right now, we are better than Ligue 1. We are still improving."

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid striker dismissed criticism following his transfer one year ago.

"[Criticism of my transfer] is part of the journey," Ronaldo said. "I always deal with it. I am a professional for 22 years. It's part of my journey to become a better person and a better player; a better father.

"I love it when people doubt me, and I prove again that [after] one year, [I have] succeeded. Last year was a tough journey, but I'm glad it happened because it made me feel strong, and as you can see, this year [I had] a good season.

"I was the top scorer. Think about that, young lions like [Erling] Haaland, for example. I am proud. I'm almost 39 years old, and I still look good."