If His Prediction Comes True, Cristiano Ronaldo Will Play At The 2026 World Cup

It was confirmed earlier that The 2026 World Cup will be hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

The announcement got us thinking - who of those competing in this summer's tournament will feature for their respected nations in eight years time?

One player who will be looking to take part in the 2026 competition is Cristiano Ronaldo, who according to his prediction, will still be playing professionally when he's 41-years-old.

Just a month after Real Madrid's coaching staff performed a series of tests on Cristiano Ronaldo's body that later indicated that he has the physical condition of a 23-year old, the man himself has recently claimed that he will carry on playing for another eight years.

It was revealed that the 33-year-old has the fat content of 7%. If you compare this to other footballers, the average is around 10 or 11%, according to a report from Spanish publication AS.

Ronaldo also has a muscle mass of 50%, and again, if you compare it again to other professionals, the usual figure doesn't exceed 46%.

In an interview with Spanish television programme El Chiringuito, Ronaldo confirmed that he has the biological age of a 23-year-old.

He then went on to claim that he will play until he is 41, which doesn't surprise me considering his record of late.

The former Manchester United winger just isn't showing signs of slowing down, even if people did doubt him at the start of the season.

"I've still got a long time left, I can keep playing until I'm 41," he said. I'm feeling good, happy, I can't complain. We are playing another final on Saturday and the fans are behind Cristiano."

Although he isn't as quick as he used to be, the five-time Balon d'Or winner still has pace to burn. According to Spanish newspaper AS back in 2017, the maximum speed that Cristiano recorded was of 33.25 km/hour.

Do you reckon Cristiano will be playing for Portugal when he's 41? Imagine if he does infact play at the 2026 World Cup.

Actually, it wouldn't even surprise us. The man is a machine.

Topics: Football News, Football, FIFA, Ronaldo, World Cup

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare is a writer at SPORTbible. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pele, Carles Puyol and Tim Henman. He dabbles in all things sport but football is his biggest passion. He was once hit in the head by a wayward strike from Nicky Butt and lived to tell the tale.

@jackkenmare_