Brazil´s Ronaldo to retire next year

Double World Cup winner Ronaldo, who is now playing for Sao Paulo’s Corinthians, said Monday he would retire from professional football at the end of next year.

The three-times world footballer of the year aged 33 told a media conference he would continue to represent Corinthians afterwards, but only as an “ambassador.”

“I’ve renewed for another two years and they will be the last of my career. I want to give my all. I hope to have fun and end with some big wins,” he said, according to the G1 news website.

The 1994 and 2002 World Cup winner did not hide his aspirations of being called up to play for Brazil in South Africa in this year’s World Cup.

“We’ll see. I still have a chance to go. For the next one (in Brazil in 2014), it’s impossible. It’s so far away and time is passing — including for me.”