Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to be quite decisive about the team he will end his legendary professional career with, saying that Saudi club Al-Nassr, where he has been playing since the beginning of 2023, could be his last team, while acknowledging that he does not know when he will make the decision to hang up his boots.
“I don’t know if I will end (his career) soon or in two or three years, but it is likely to happen with Al Nassr, in a team that makes me happy, where I am in a good position, where I have a good feeling, whether in the country or the league,” Ronaldo, 39, who is still looking for his first major title with Al Nassr, told Portuguese channel NOW.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star continued: “For this reason, it is very likely that I will end my career as a player at Al-Nassr. I am happy to play in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and I want to continue the journey.”
Despite his advancing years, the five-time world player of the year has not lost any of his scoring instinct, having scored a total of 67 goals in 73 appearances for the Saudi club in all competitions, including the Arab Club Champions Cup, which gave him his only title to date with Al-Nassr in the summer of 2023 when he scored a brace in a 2-1 extra-time win over arch-rivals Al-Hilal.
Ronaldo spoke about his career with the Portuguese national team, saying: “When I decide to leave the national team, I will not tell anyone. It will be a spontaneous decision on my part,” adding: “What I want, now, is to be able to help the national team,” which is currently preparing for the first two rounds of the European Nations League, where it will play Croatia and Scotland on September 5 and 8 in the first level of Group 1.
Ronaldo played in what could be his last major tournament with Portugal this summer, at the European Championship, where Roberto Martinez’s side were beaten in the quarter-finals by France on penalties.
Ronaldo tops the list of players with the most appearances for Portugal with 212 matches, an achievement that no international player in the world has achieved, and the player with the most goals with 130, also a record achievement on the global level.
Ronaldo, who began his international career in 2003 and has played for his country in 11 major tournaments, including six European Championships, another record he has added to his tally of 14 goals in the continental finals, denied he had any intention of moving into coaching, saying: “Right now, I’m not thinking about coaching the first team (of Portugal) or any team. It’s never crossed my mind, I’ve never thought about it.”
He stressed: “I don’t see myself experiencing that in the future,” adding: “I see myself doing other things outside the world of football; but only God knows what the future holds.”