Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted that he will quit his club team Al Nassr, possibly ending his association with the lucrative Saudi Pro League.
The 40-year-old Portugal striker announced only hours after his club’s final match of the season that “This chapter is over” via his account on the social media platform X.
The post included a picture of him in an Al Nassr jersey and concluded: “The story? Still being written. Grateful to all.”
Speculation has now moved into overdrive about where the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward will move next.
Al Jazeera takes a look at what might occur in the coming days and possible options ahead for a player who remains one of world football’s most bankable assets.
Why would Ronaldo leave Al Nassr?
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr from Manchester United in January 2023 in a move that shocked the world.
The five-time world player of the year was the marquee signing that the Saudi Pro League needed to elevate its global standing.
His lucrative two-and-a-half-year deal, estimated to have been worth 200 million euros ($214.5m), comes to an end in June but was widely expected to be renewed.
Al Nassr have failed to win any titles in Ronaldo’s time at the club and disappointingly have missed out on a place at both the FIFA Club World Cup and the Asian Champions League, having finished third in the league this season.
A place in the Asian Champions League Two is now the best they can hope for via a playoff.
This chapter is over.
The story? Still being written.
Grateful to all. pic.twitter.com/Vuvl5siEB3— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) May 26, 2025
Can Ronaldo play in the FIFA Club World Cup?
Yes. The 32 teams involved in the Club World Cup have been granted a special transfer window to sign players.
It runs June 1-10 just before the tournament in the United States begins on June 14 when Inter Miami face Al Ahly.
What was FIFA President Infantino’s take on Ronaldo at the Club World Cup?
FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed last week that “there are discussions” surrounding Ronaldo playing at the enlarged and rebranded tournament.
Which FIFA Club World Cup teams could Ronaldo potentially join?
1. Real Madrid
Ronaldo became a Galactico when he joined the Spanish giants from Manchester United in 2009 for what was then a world record fee of 80 million euros ($91m).
Even a short-term move back to Real for the tournament is unlikely given the struggles Los Blancos had in finding the best way for Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo to line up as the front three as Real tried to defend its Champions League and La Liga titles.
With Jude Bellingham already having to adapt to a new role last season given Mbappe’s arrival from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), it is difficult to envisage a Real return for Ronaldo.
Another of his former clubs at the tournament is Juventus, again at least offering the option of an emotional reunion. But because such a move would be only a short-term one, Juventus are unlikely to want to upset the playing group that qualified them for the tournament.
2. Inter Miami
The biggest headline move would undoubtedly be for a link-up with Ronaldo’s career-long rival for the title of the best player in the world, Lionel Messi.
The Argentinian forward left Paris Saint-Germain to join the David Beckham co-owned Major League Soccer (MLS) side in 2023.
It was a sensational score for Miami as Ronaldo himself had also been linked with a move to the MLS before joining Al Nassr.
If Ronaldo’s participation at the Club World Cup is seen as a boost to the competition by Infantino and FIFA, then clearly there would be no bigger headline-grabber than a link-up between two players that between them have shared the title of world player of the year on 13 occasions.
Last week, when he was asked if Inter Miami might sign Ronaldo, Infantino laughed and replied: “It’s possible.”
3. Al Hilal
A strong contender for Ronaldo’s signature, both in the short and long term, is 2023-2024 Saudi Pro League winners, Al Hilal.
The move makes a lot of sense to all parties. The marquee signing for the Saudi domestic league remains in the competition, plays in the Club World Cup and will spearhead the Saudi assault for next season’s Asian Champions League.
For Ronaldo, it would mean staying in the Saudi capital, where many of his current business and commercial interests are based.
The other options in the region who are also represented at the Club World Cup are Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates and a switch to challenge for the African Champions League next season with Egyptian giants Al Ahly. The loss of Ronaldo to a neighbouring football nation is surely something the Saudi Pro League would prefer to avoid.
4. Botafogo
The Spanish newspaper Marca reported last week that Ronaldo is in talks with the Brazilian mega-club Botafogo.
That news made a lot of sense at the time because they could potentially afford a short-term deal with Ronaldo. However, that news came before the player’s announcement that his time with Al Nassr might have come to an end.
A long-term move to Brazil, despite its footballing heritage and legacy, appears unlikely. A short-term deal remains an option unless it interferes with a move to a Club World Cup participant that would want a contract beyond the end of the competition.
Palmeiras, Fluminense and Flamengo are also representing the Brazilian top flight at the tournament.
5. Seattle Sounders
One move that would perhaps offer the cleanest solution to Ronaldo’s appearance at the Club World Cup is to sign a long-term deal with one of the US-based participants.
Much like the Saudi Pro League’s desire to elevate their exposure, the MLS would be significantly boosted by Ronaldo’s signature – be it in a link-up with Messi or in opposition to the Argentinian on an opposing side.
A move to the Seattle Sounders, the MLS champions, would also bring credibility to his appearance in the competition as part of a longer potential plan to base himself in the US.
Could Messi and Ronaldo play together?
The thrill of a potential Messi and Ronaldo link-up at the Club World Cup goes beyond the positional play of the pair, but that too would be a huge talking point were a collaboration at Inter Miami to be arranged.
Messi’s preference is to play either on the right, cutting in on his famed left foot, or in a deeper role through the middle with the team playing around him.
Ronaldo, who began on the left flank, now operates solely through the middle but in a more advanced position to that preferred by Messi.
Both scenarios could work, but both would result in Messi making runs into the area of the field occupied by Ronaldo, and that is where the on-field viability of a potential partnership would be questioned.
The pair have long been rivals for the famed Ballon d’Or title, making the annual award ceremony to name the best player in the world an often tense affair.
The debate as to who was the better player at their peak raged through their time in La Liga with Messi at Barcelona and Ronaldo at Real Madrid.
It was often a conversation that the pair would cryptically contribute to over the years while there was noticeably no love lost when the duo would meet on the field of play.
A partnership at the Club World Cup would be one of the biggest box office events in football history and would draw much needed attention to the competition.
Whether their longstanding rivalry and differences could be put to one side would be the biggest hurdle to perhaps the greatest matchup in the sport’s history.
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