Ronaldo, the world renown striker and member of the Corinthians soccer team, said on Monday that he will hang up his cleats when his contract with Corinthians expires by the end of December, 2011.

The 33-year-odl striker said that when his contract expires, so will his professional career.

"I already made up my mind. I never really spoke about the topic. I recently renewed my contract with Corinthians for two years. They will be the last two years of my career," said Ronaldo.

"I plan on giving it my all and hope to win some important tournaments, such as the Libertadores Cup. These next two years will be the last of my professional career on the field," professed Ronaldo.

After his retirement from the field, Ronaldo, also known as the "Phenomenon," will join the administrative side with Corinthians as team ambassador to be the poster-boy for the team, aiding the club in marketing and advertising campaigns.

Despite not openly speaking about the up-coming World Cup in South Africa, Ronaldo is well aware that 2010 is his last chance to play in the world's biggest soccer stage.

"The World Cup is still something in my reach. The next Cup in 2014 will be too late," said Ronaldo.

The striker previously stated that he is confident that Dunga, the Brazilian national team's head coach, is a person capable of selecting the best athletes available to represent Brazil. However, he hopes that Dunga will not leave him off the list.