With the words “Al Nassr forever” Cristiano Ronaldo ended uncertainty about his future and signed a two-year contract extension with the Saudi Arabian club on Thursday.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s latest deal means he will play on until at least the age of 42 and gives him the chance to add to his record-breaking career.
“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” Ronaldo said in a social media post along with a picture of him holding up a shirt that said “Ronaldo 2027.”
The contract sees Ronaldo extend his time in Saudi Arabia, having joined Al Nassr at the end of 2022 in one of the most shocking transfers in soccer history after leaving Manchester United. The deal was reportedly worth up to $200 million a year and led to a slew of top players, including Neymar and Karim Benzema, leaving Europe for the oil-rich kingdom.
With his contract due to expire, the 40-year-old Ronaldo sparked uncertainty at the end of the Saudi season last month when he said the “chapter is over.” But he ended speculation Thursday, saying “Al Nassr forever” in the club’s announcement.
The deal is evidence the former Real Madrid forward wants to achieve more. The move to a less-challenging league has also not hindered his standing with his national team.
The five-time Champions League winner has won 28 major trophies with club and country and just helped Portugal win the UEFA Nations League title. He is the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with 141 goals.
The World Cup is the only major honor missing from his resume and he may get one last chance to lift soccer’s grandest prize at next year’s tournament.
Despite helping to raise the profile of Saudi Arabian soccer and scoring 77 goals in 74 league appearances, Ronaldo has found trophies hard to come by at Al Nassr.
His one so far was the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. He is yet to win the Saudi Pro League in three attempts.
Still, his latest deal was hailed by the club, which posted a video of him walking on a beach with the caption “The Story continues..” along with emojis of a goat and a gold heart.
Ronaldo is considered by many to be soccer’s greatest of all time, a term often abbreviated as “GOAT.”
He and Lionel Messi have had a years-long rivalry as the two finest players of their generation, with the duel reaching its peak when they played for Madrid and Barcelona, respectively.
The intensity of the rivalry has diminished in recent years as both players have entered the latter stages of their careers and are playing in less heralded leagues, with Messi joining MLS team Inter Miami in 2023.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
