‘This chapter is over': Is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Al Nassr?
Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, has conquered every challenge set for him, or by him. Now, he's set to embark on another one.
'This chapter is over,' Ronaldo wrote in a post on X following Al Nassr's final Saudi Pro League game on Monday — a 3-2 loss to Al Fateh that saw Ronaldo's squad finish in third place.
While Ronaldo didn't share specifics on his next step, it's fair to assume the 40-year-old isn't heading for retirement, as he also wrote, 'The story? Still being written," in his post.
It may just be for another squad.
While, in February, he signed a contract extension through June 2026, seeking a new club is a reasonable explanation behind his post.
If that's the case, Ronaldo's tenure with Al Nassr — which began in January 2023 — consisted of helping the club win just one trophy — the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. Ronaldo has appeared in 76 matches and scored 73 goals for Al Nassr.
He signed with the Saudi Pro League team in December 2023 after the two-year reunion with his former team, Manchester United, didn't go as well as planned.
Ronaldo also spent four seasons in Serie A with Juventus, where he helped the club win the league in 2019 and 2020. And the bulk of his prime came at Real Madrid where he racked up two league titles and four UEFA Champions League trophies.
The five-time Ballon D'Or winner has represented Portugal in each of the last five World Cups, and has the country's record of 136 goals scored that will likely never be touched. He is still eligible to make the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Now, Ronaldo's status until that tournament seems undecided and mysterious. He could very well return to finish out his contract at Al Nassr, or he could add another lucky team to his index of a lengthy and illustrious novel that is his soccer career.
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