It is no secret that Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best soccer players in the world. But what happens when he turns 40? Ronaldo recently turned 38, and with every year passing, the question among fans arises of how long is there left till one of the best players in the world will grace the soccer pitch.
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However, Ronaldo has previously provided his take on this with an intent to even play past the age of 40. A lot has changed since Ronaldo originally made those comments, though. He is not even playing in Europe anymore, but even at the age of 38, he is the soccer player with the biggest contract in the history of soccer with AL Nassr.
Now, a former English forward Adebayo Akinfenwa has also given his take on playing past 40.
Cristiano Ronaldo tipped to continue playing past 40
Adebayo Akinfenwa, who himself retired at the age of 40, has tipped Ronaldo to continue playing past 40. “But what I do feel is, and again not taking away from what I’ve achieved, is I do think you will see players playing longer into their career,” Akinfewa told Mirror Football.
Dive Deeper: “Cristiano [Ronaldo] Makes It Difficult for Us” – Al Nassr Superstar Highlights Major Problem at Saudi Arabian Club
Then he talked about how soccer has evolved. “Football has evolved, society has evolved, technology in the game now has evolved, so there’s a lot more data you can take in and learn from,” he said. “Back in the day when I started, there weren’t heart rate monitors, training wasn’t specific to the individual, it was a generic training programme.”
It was a real pleasure speaking to @daRealAkinfenwa earlier this month 🤝
A genuine, friendly bloke who would 100% have Ronaldo's number between the ropes! 💪
The 'Beast Slam' beats the 'SUUII Slam' all day long 😂https://t.co/SoHfIGTeZC
— Harry Brent (@HarryBrent) January 25, 2023
Adebayo holds the view that due to the progression of technology, players playing soccer past 40 years old may become increasingly commonplace. It is certainly an interesting perspective. And with Ronaldo still playing at an elite level, it does not seem impossible that he could play until he is at least 40 years old.
The time Cristiano made a claim of being biologically 23
Ronaldo might have recently celebrated his 38th birthday, but let’s go back almost 5 years back in 2018 when Ronaldo was still a part of Real Madrid. The then-33-year-old gave a pretty bizarre statement just before an upcoming big match in which Real faced off against Liverpool in the finals of the Champions League.
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Ronaldo said, “Right now, I’ve got a biological age of 23.” This might sound a little confusing, but it is clear Ronaldo was feeling at the top of his game. He also talked about his intention of playing long, saying, “I’ve still got a long time left, I can keep playing until I’m 41.”
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Watch this story: Meet the Legendary Tennis Player Who Is 3x Richer Than Cristiano Ronaldo
Even at 38, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down. And one can only imagine how he’ll feel when he finally does hang up his boots. When do you think Cristiano Ronaldo will retire? Let us know in the comments.