Ronaldo, 40, will be out of contract with Al Nassr on June 30, and after the 3-2 loss to Al Fateh in the final match of the season in the Saudi Pro League, he hinted that he might leave the club.
The Portuguese star posted a photo with the caption: “This chapter is finished. The story? Still being written. Grateful for everything.” This statement came just a few days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino suggested that Ronaldo could play in the Club World Cup this summer, despite Al Nassr not being part of the competition.
“Ronaldo could play for one of the teams in the Club World Cup,” Infantino said last week.
“There are talks with several clubs, so if any club is listening and is interested in signing Ronaldo… who knows?”
Ronaldo has been linked with potential transfers to MLS, Brazil, and even a return to his boyhood club, Sporting.
However, on the afternoon of Friday (May 30), journalist Santi Aouna provided an update on Ronaldo’s future via X.
“Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Al Nassr,” he wrote.
“The agreement has been fully reached between the parties.
Saudi sources told us that he has already signed the new contract with Al Nassr.”
Despite his age and Al Nassr’s lack of success this season, Ronaldo’s impact on the club and Saudi football has been extraordinary. He finished as the league’s top scorer with 25 goals – three more than Al-Ahli’s English striker Ivan Toney.
Nevertheless, it cannot be ignored that Ronaldo is no longer what he once was. When might he hang up his boots?
He has made various statements about retirement over the course of his career, but in a 2024 interview with Portuguese television Noë, he said:
“I don’t know if I’ll retire soon, maybe in two or three years, but perhaps I’ll retire here at Al Nassr. I’m happy at this club, I feel good in this country. I’m happy to play in Saudi Arabia and I want to continue.”
