Manchester United front Cristiano Ronaldo told ESPN Brasil that he wants to continue his football career until the age of 42.
Despite the club’s difficulties this season, the 36-year-old is United’s top scorer with 14 goals in all competitions.
– Daily ESPN FC live stream on ESPN+ (US only)
– No ESPN? Instant access
– Meet the oldest soccer players in the world
– Can Ronaldo reach 1,000 goals before retiring?
When asked if he could see the limit of his lifespan, he told ESPN: “I feel happy to be a player who has shown who, in my case, longevity It’s important for me to continue to play at a high level in good performances.
“Genetically, I feel like I’m 30 years old. I take great care of my body and mind. What I learned recently is that after age 33, I believe the body can provide if you need it. , but the real fight is mental.
“Going through a lot of things with a focus on the ultimate goal of staying in top form was the hardest thing, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past few years. I’ve been working and focusing more on my first job. My brain I know my body will handle me because I respect it so much and I listen to it a lot.
“Life always has important moments, good or bad, but when you fall you have to have the strength to get up. I’m happy, I want to stay here and see what happens.
“I want to find out if I’m going to play until I’m 40, 41 or 42, but the most important thing is my daily goal is to enjoy this moment.”
Ronaldo is still a long way from the former United and Tottenham Striker Teddy Sheringham, who holds the record as the longest Premier League player, with 40 years and 272 days.
The official Guinness World Record for oldest appearance in an organized, professional match belongs to Ezzeldin Bahader, 74 years and 125 days when he played in an Egyptian third-place game in October 2020.
Ronaldo also hinted that football needs to follow in the footsteps of the NFL and NBA when it comes to giving athletes time to recover and rest.
The workload issue is already a big deal, with Bayern Munich‘S Robert lewandowski and Paris Saint-Germain‘S Kylian Mbappe speak out against FIFA’s proposal hosts the World Cup every two years.
When asked about the longevity of NFL star Tom Brady and NBA icon LeBron James, Ronaldo replied: “I think a very important point is the difference between sports.
“You mentioned some excellent athletes who have been active for many years. In my opinion, there is no other sport with as much workload as football. The NBA, for example, has a long rest period. , but I don’t want to expand on that.”
