Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his intention to retire at Al-Nassr but refused to put a date on the end of his career. The 39-year-old has been in Saudi Arabia since leaving Manchester United in December 2022.
A disappointing Euro 2024 campaign has not diminished Ronaldo’s enthusiasm as he approaches his 40th birthday. The Real Madrid great has always seemed to defy the ageing process, but he has now admitted retirement is on the horizon.
But there is unlikely to be a fairytale return to boyhood club Sporting CP. Instead, it appears he will end his career, slightly less romantically, with Al-Nassr, where he has so far scored 67 goals in 73 appearances.
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“I don’t know if I will retire soon, in two or three years… but probably I will retire here at Al-Nassr,” Ronaldo told NOW. “I’m very happy at this club, I feel good in this country too. I’m happy to play in Saudi Arabia and I want to continue.”
The Portugal legend is also yet to announce his retirement on the international stage, though the expectation was that Euro 2024 would be his final tournament. He has a remarkable 212 caps for Portugal, with 130 goals to his name.
“When I leave the national team, I won’t tell anyone in advance and it will be a very spontaneous decision on my part, but also a very well thought-out one,” Ronaldo added.
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Ronaldo says his retirement from international football will be “spontaneous” (Image credit: Getty Images)
“Right now what I want is to be able to help the national team in their upcoming matches. We have the Nations League ahead of us and I would really like to play. At the moment, I’m not thinking about being a coach of the first team or any team.
“It doesn’t even cross my mind, I’ve never thought about it. I don’t see my future going through that. I see myself doing other things outside of football, but only God knows what the future holds.”
