At 40, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to stack the goals with Al-Nassr and display an impressive longevity. Still selected with Portugal, it now targets 1,000 career goals and a final planetary meeting: the 2026 World Cup. But at what price?
A legend in danger?
Despite its flattering statistics, some observers are worried. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, former Chelsea striker and the Netherlands team, believes that the Portuguese now does his inheritance. “For me, he better stops when Messi stops. Today, he does more harm than good in his image ”,
he told Gambling Zone.
“Football does not need Ronaldo in 2026”
Hasselbaink does not question the immensity of CR7's career. On the contrary. He even places Ronaldo above Messi, Saluant “colossal effort” that he had to provide to stay at the top. But for him, the time has come to pass the relay. “He is no longer the best choice for Portugal. He can no longer meet the modern requirements of the position ”,
he analyzes, while recognizing the feat of playing at such a level at 40.
A synchronized withdrawal with Messi?
The suggestion is as symbolic as it is provocative: what if Ronaldo ended his career at the same time as Messi? A way of closing one of the greatest rivalries in the history of global sport … with panache. But will Portuguese legend accept this timing dictated by another?
