Cristiano Ronaldo announces plan to retire at 41 with Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo has his future all planned out. He wants to stay with Real Madrid for the next decade and retire at the La Liga powerhouse at age 41, the star has told reporters.
"That's what I want," the 31-year-old Ronaldo said, according to Diario AS. "I'm in the best club in the world and I want to finish in this club at 41. Now I need to be calm, but the goal is to extend my contract and stay here."
Ronaldo’s latest comments are a continuation of his recent proclamations that he wants to remain at Real Madrid and eventually retire there. With his contract at Real Madrid set to expire in 2018, he has been vocal lately about his desire for an extension -- but this is his first time projecting the specific age at which he will retire, 41.
For American fans, there have long been widespread hopes that Ronaldo might eventually come stateside and compete in Major League Soccer. Those hopes were stoked further earlier this year when his agent mentioned the U.S. as a possibility after Ronaldo’s contract with Real Madrid expired, and reports later surfaced that the Portuguese star was looking to buy a home in Miami. Ronaldo was later asked about it and wouldn’t rule out the possibility either, saying “maybe in the future will be a good chance for me to play there.”
But it’s notable that all those comments came during the earlier stages of contract negotiations with Real Madrid. With Ronaldo’s current deal set to expire in 2018, he has yet to sign a new one, but reports suggest an extension is now close to being inked. Ronaldo’s most recent comments have been anything but ambiguous about his future and his desire to stay at Real Madrid.
A lot can happen in a decade, though, assuming Ronaldo can go that long. Ronaldo may want to stay at Real Madrid right now, but new players and new staff can change the dynamic of a club, Ronaldo’s own priorities may change, and his feelings may once he is no longer the Merengues’ top star. Still, MLS fans may want to simply take Ronaldo at his word here, at least until he offers a hint that his mind has changed.
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