Louis Saha Says Ronaldo’s 1,000-Marathon Body Could Still Be at the 2030 World Cup

Cristiano Ronaldo turned 41 this year and he’s still playing in his sixth World Cup. That alone is ridiculous. But Louis Saha, his old Manchester United teammate, thinks the guy could actually stick around for a seventh one in 2030.

Saha went to Goal.com with a take that kind of sums up the whole Ronaldo experience. He said the problem is that Ronaldo has to stop eventually because he’s clearly human. But then he immediately undercut that logic by saying Ronaldo plays like a robot. Which, if you’ve watched him at all in the last decade, yeah, that tracks.

“He doesn’t ask for help,” Saha said. “He’s saying, ‘I’m fit enough, I’m as good, I am like 35 years old, so I’m going to score with your support or not.’”

The marathon number is not really a number

Saha also threw out a stat that’s probably not real but feels true. “He may have run 1,000 marathons now,” he said. “It’s crazy.”

Is it literally 1,000? No. But Ronaldo has been sprinting around soccer fields at full intensity for over 20 years. That’s got to add up to something like a thousand marathons in terms of wear and tear on the legs. The man’s knees are probably made of vibranium at this point.

What’s actually happening with Ronaldo right now

Ronaldo just won the Saudi Pro League title with Al Nassr in 2025-26. He’s already picked up a couple of Golden Boots in the Middle East. He’s got one year left on his contract and there’s talk he could extend it while chasing 1,000 competitive goals. That number would put him in a category entirely by himself in men’s soccer history.

He’s the most-capped player in international men’s football and the all-time leading scorer. He’s said multiple times that he’ll always answer Portugal’s call. The one thing missing from his resume is a World Cup trophy. Portugal faces Spain in the round of 16 in 2026 and if they fall short again, the 2030 tournament could be the last real shot. That one’s being co-hosted by Portugal, Spain and Morocco.

Saha’s not the only one wondering how long Ronaldo’s human body can keep chasing this dream. But at this point, betting against him has worked out poorly for about 15 years straight.