Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has weighed in on Cristiano Ronaldo’s international career, predicting that the Portuguese superstar will retire once his long-time rival Lionel Messi decides to hang up his boots.
Hasselbaink suggested that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is harming his own legacy by persisting at the highest level despite his advancing age.
He believes that Ronaldo's presence in the squad may be limiting opportunities for younger talents and that his best days are behind him.
Floyd Hasselbaink told Gambling Zone:
"Football doesn't need Ronaldo at the 2026 World Cup. Ronaldo has been one of the best players for a long time; one of the best players in history. I think, at the moment, he’s doing himself more harm than good to be playing for Portugal still – it’s impacting his legacy."
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"And if you ask me, Messi or Ronaldo, I will always say Ronaldo because of what he had to do to get to that level and to stay there," he added.
Hasselbaink emphasized that every footballer has a time to step away from the game, and he believes that Ronaldo’s time has already arrived.
"We all know as footballers, and I know this really, really well from my playing time, there's a time when you come and there's a time where you need to go. I think his time had come a while ago, and he needs to give somebody else the opportunity.
"I don't think that he is at the moment better than the other options that Portugal have. Some games you need to press, some games you need to do different things, and I don't think that he can do that anymore. There’s no shame in that. For him to even be playing at 40 is a landmark in itself."
The former Chelsea forward then made a bold prediction regarding Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement, claiming that the decision will ultimately be influenced by Lionel Messi.
"There comes a time when you have to hang the boots up. I think that time will come when Messi stops. I think when Messi decides to call it a day, so will Ronaldo."
Kylian Mbappe says he doesn’t intend to replace Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
While Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still strutting their stuff at their respective clubs, there are no doubts that both players are past their prime. Ronaldo clocked 40 last month, while Messi will celebrate his 38th birthday in June.
With both players nearing their retirement, Kylian Mbappe is one of the players who has been touted as the successor to the pair. Meanwhile, the Frenchman has repeatedly put Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on a pedestal.
Mbappe accorded the pair another iota of respect of late. In the pre-match conference of the first leg of France’s Nations League quarterfinal clash with Croatia on Thursday, the former PSG man made it clear that he has no intention of replacing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“On the topic of replacing Cristiano [Ronaldo] and [Lionel] Messi, they are irreplaceable players. So I’m not trying to take their place,” Mbappe said.
Mbappe has been in top form at Real Madrid after initially struggling in his early months at the club.
