Ronaldo sets out retirement plans

By Updates

January 18, 2022

Updates

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The Portuguese football icon has shared his plans for how long he will continue playing

Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed how long he wishes to continue playing as he collected his latest FIFA accolade, also sharing a touching exchange with Brazilian icon Pele.

Collecting the Special Award at FIFA’s The Best ceremony for breaking the all-time international goalscoring record in 2021 by reaching 115 strikes for Portugal, the 36-year-old was one of the few players to attend Monday’s event in person.

This allowed for Ronaldo to be probed on his future given his advancing years, and CR7 admitted that he is often asked to address the matter.

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“When I go to the pitch, even in training, I still enjoy… the motivation is still there, even though I’m going to be 37 soon,” he began.

“I feel good, I feel motivated. I have kept working hard since I was 18 years old. I love the game, I still have that passion and I want to continue.

“The people sometimes ask me how many more years I’m going to play, and I say I hope to play four, five more years,” Ronaldo stated.

“It’s all about [being strong] mentally because physically, if you treat your body good, it’s going to give back to you when you need your body.”

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On Instagram, Ronaldo said that winning the Special Award was a “tremendous honor and privilege”.

“The fact that such a relevant institution chose to recognize me as the Top Goalscorer in the history of FIFA competitions is, for me, the pinnacle of my individual achievements in the representation of my beloved country,” he added.

“Now, it’s up to me to turn this award into extra fuel and motivation to help achieve all our goals at Manchester United for this season, as well as to the upcoming play-off matches in March, so that Portugal can be at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and we can all keep writing this amazing story together.

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Thanking his Portugal teammates of the last two decades for their talent, professionalism and quality which has contributed to making him a better player, Ronaldo received congratulations on the social media platform from Pele. 

Recovering from health scares in 2021, the 81-year-old looked to be in better spirits at his home in Santos and said that he wishes to hug Ronaldo in person when they can finally meet again.