Former England defender Danny Mills believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s playing days are highly fragile and could be brought to an abrupt end by a single injury.
Speaking to betTOM, Mills asserted that it would be incredibly difficult to justify starting a 45-year-old Ronaldo in four years, suggesting that the icon is far more likely to transition into a managerial or player-coach role for Portugal by the 2030 World Cup.
“Unless Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the player-coach for Portugal at the next World Cup, I can’t see him playing,” Mills said. “I’m not sure you can justify starting Ronaldo for Portugal in four years’ time. He’s one injury away from being done; the body doesn’t heal or recover anywhere near as effectively once you enter your 40s.”
While Mills expects Ronaldo to remain around the national team setup, he highly doubts the forward will still be leading the line on the pitch.
“He’ll be involved in one way or another in 2030, but I think it’s a dream to imagine him in the starting XI,” Mills added.
“It goes without saying he’s an outstanding footballer with incredible numbers to his name. But I think there are a few too many egos and star players who won’t be buying into the idea of playing for Ronaldo—in contrast to how the Argentinian squad is built to serve Lionel Messi.”
Despite the skepticism, Ronaldo continues to defy expectations. He made history at the 2026 World Cup by becoming the first male player to score in six different World Cup tournaments.
After a quiet and heavily criticized opening match, the 41-year-old silenced doubters by netting a brace in Portugal’s resounding 5-0 group-stage victory against Uzbekistan.
Portugal now face Colombia to decide the top spot in Group K, and Ronaldo is widely expected to start once more as he continues to resist the aging process.