Portugal veteran Cristiano Ronaldo might play the FIFA World Cup 2030 in Morocco, Portugal, and Spain alongside Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. Ronaldo’s Portugal couldn’t win the World Cup 2026, which many felt was the last opportunity for the veteran to become a world champion.
Ronaldo also confirmed that the World Cup 2026 would be his last. But he hasn’t made any official decision yet. But Ronaldo will be 45 in 2030, and it would be a tough ask for him to maintain the fitness levels required to compete in the marquee event.
But Ronaldo’s former teammate at Manchester United, Eric Djemba-Djemba, believes that the veteran is obsessed with improving himself and it would be a surprise if he continues playing until he’s 44 or 45 years old.
“I genuinely believe Cristiano Ronaldo can play until 44 or 45 years old. I am not surprised at all by what he is doing because I knew him when he was 17 years old,” Djemba-Djemba told BetVictor before the World Cup.
Ronaldo didn’t have the best World Cup and scored just three goals, but he was in magnificent form in the build-up to the season, having scored 35 goals across all competitions in the 2025-2026 season. Djemba-Djemba believes if Ronaldo is still active around the World Cup, he should be in the World Cup squad.
“We trained together every day and even after training he always wanted more,” the former midfielder added. “He is obsessed with improving himself and competing. I have never seen a mentality like his before. If Cristiano Ronaldo is still playing when the 2030 World Cup arrives in Portugal, then I believe he should absolutely be in the squad.”
A Fairytale Ending
The World Cup 2030 would be co-hosted by Portugal, Morocco and Spain and it would be a fairy tale for the sport to see Ronaldo play alongside his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, who’s been making waves in the Al Nassr academy and could play alongside his father next season.
“It would be the perfect ending to his career and an incredible moment for Portuguese football. And imagine if Cristiano Jr is there as well. That would be unbelievable. It would be very difficult for his son to reach the same level because Cristiano Ronaldo is from another planet, but it would still be a beautiful story,” Djemba-Djemba stated.