Cristiano Ronaldo Drops Bombshell on Al Nassr Career Plans
Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have put an end to rumors about his Al Nassr future by stating that he "belongs" to Saudi Arabia.
The move of Ronaldo's former Real Madrid colleague, Karim Benzema, to Al Hilal frustrated the 41-year-old to such an extent that he staged a boycott at Al Nassr, protesting what he saw as a lack of ambition from his team.
Toni Kroos supported Ronaldo, calling Al Nassr's behavior "disrespectful" toward a player many regard as the greatest ever, but he eventually concluded his three-match boycott and agreed to return to play—predictably, he did so by netting 18 minutes into the match against Al Fateh.
"I'm extremely pleased," Ronaldo shared with Saudi broadcaster Thmanyah this weekend. "As I've mentioned numerous times, I belong to Saudi Arabia. It's a nation that has embraced me wonderfully, along with my family and friends. I'm content here, I wish to stay here.
"The key thing is we continue striving [for the league championship], we remain at the summit. We perform our duties, we triumph, apply pressure, let's see what happens at season's end."
Does Ronaldo Mean What He Says?
Does Ronaldo Mean What He Says?
Ronaldo's fury over Al Hilal acquiring Benzema wasn't a momentary reaction. A consistent champion throughout his distinguished career, the Portuguese icon has been unable to deliver similar success to Al Nassr, despite playing alongside talents like Sadio Mané, Marcelo Brozović, Kingsley Coman and fellow Portuguese João Felix.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo's former Real Madrid teammate Benzema has captured the Saudi Pro League championship with Al Ittihad, and might now achieve the same with Al Hilal if they maintain their undefeated streak which has extended across 22 matches.
It's an exceptionally competitive title battle, however, with merely two points dividing Al Nassr, Al Hilal and Al Ahli—another PIF-backed club in the league. The competition remains so tight because Al Hilal have lost six points in their recent five matches, enabling Al Nassr, who have been flawless in their last five encounters, to surpass them at the table's peak.
Importantly, Al Nassr possess a superior goal difference compared to Al Hilal, but Benzema's acquisition has only enhanced the latter's title-winning prospects—clearly, this doesn't please Ronaldo.
Ronaldo's frustration will resurface if a) Al Nassr fail to claim the Saudi Pro League championship and b) they don't make substantial squad investments this summer—though whether €409 million ($482 million) in spending since 2023–24, Ronaldo's inaugural Saudi Arabian season, constitutes insufficient investment remains debatable.
Ronaldo's Options If He Changes His Mind
Ronaldo's Options If He Changes His Mind
Ronaldo remains under contract with Al Nassr for an additional year, requiring any interested club to pay a transfer fee to extract him from Saudi Arabia or necessitating a mutual contract termination agreement.
At Ronaldo's current career phase—he'll turn 42 next February—his opportunities to return to Europe's elite leagues are virtually nonexistent. Massive salaries, signing bonuses and various other financial commitments present immediate obstacles, plus the reality that he's approaching 42 years old.
Moving to MLS to unite with Lionel Messi represents one possibility, but the previously mentioned challenges would persist even for the wealthiest franchises. The more probable scenario involves Ronaldo establishing his legacy in Saudi Arabia by securing the title with Al Nassr, making one final attempt at World Cup glory with Portugal before gradually accepting that retirement approaches.