Ronaldo’s contract with Saudi club Al Nassr is set to expire on 30 June and while the Portuguese star was initially expected to extend it by a year, his grievances regarding the club’s lack of trophies and demands of wholesale changes make it a highly unlikely prospect.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been the face of Al-Nassr ever since he signed with the Saudi Pro League club in December 2022 after his second spell with Manchester United didn’t exactly end on good terms. The 40-year-old forward, who has also had stints with Real Madrid and Juventus in a stellar career spanning more than two decades, also happens to be the highest-paid athlete in the world , earning more than €200 million annually.
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However, both Ronaldo and the Al-Nassr management have a major decision to make in the next few days with the Portuguese superstar’s contract set to expire on 30 June, meaning the club will have a little over a month to make a decision on Ronaldo’s future at the club.
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Will Ronaldo extend his stay at Al-Nassr?
Ronaldo was reported to have verbally agreed to an extension of his contract earlier this year that would have had him stay at the club till the summer of 2026, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner reportedly even being offered a minority stake in the club that would have allowed him to participate in the club’s decision-making process.
Ronaldo, however, has since expressed unhappiness over the club’s lack of trophies along with their failure to qualify for the next season of AFC Champions League Elite, as well as the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. Not only that, he has also demanded the removal of coach Stefano Pioli, sporting director Fernando Hierro along with nearly half of the squad.
Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo apparently wants coach Stefano Pioli out of Al Nassr. Image: Reuters
Nine-time Saudi top-flight champions Al-Nassr have won just one trophy since Ronaldo’s arrival – the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup – and it is understandable for the patience of an individual who is a five-time UEFA Champions League winner to be wearing thin.
Al-Nassr thus face a huge dilemma in having to release so many individuals, including those who are part of the team’s management, in order to keep the biggest signing in Saudi football history happy.
**Brazil or Morocco? Where is CR7 headed to next?
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While Ronaldo’s presence has revolutionised Saudi football and has greatly boosted the Gulf Kingdom’s sporting ambitions, his days in capital Riyadh as a player will likely have come to an end. According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Ronaldo has received an offer from a Brazilian club, though the report did not mention which one.
What makes this even more interesting is the fact that the Brazilian club will be participating in the FIFA Club World Cup that takes place in the United States in the months of June and July.
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Four Brazilian clubs will be taking part in the Club World Cup – Palmeiras, Flamengo, Fluminense and Botafogo. And Ronaldo’s interest in signing with one of these four clubs is to ensure he is part of the action in the tournament that is set for its biggest edition ever, with 32 teams set to be part of the action .
With Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami also part of the action by receiving the host nation slot, Ronaldo might just get to meet his fierce rival on the field possibly for the last time in their careers. CR7 is a four-time Club World Cup champion – thrice with Madrid and once with United. The upcoming tournament, however, will be a tournament of a different scale entirely. And FIFA are also said to be keen on getting both Ronaldo and Messi on board for the upcoming event.
Ronaldo, however, doesn’t necessarily have to move to Brazil to fulfill his dream of playing in the expanded Club World Cup. Marca has also reported that Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca, who have qualified for the World Cup on the basis of having won the 2021-22 CAF Champions League, are also believed to have reached out to the legendary player.
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What prompted speculations of Ronaldo’s possible move to the 22-time top-flight champions was a short clip shared by the club on their social media channels that featured the Portuguese club followed by a handshake, hinting at a major signing in the future.
🇵🇹🤝🏼⏳#DimaWydad pic.twitter.com/f9AIo3s9eo
— Wydad Athletic Club (@WACofficiel) May 21, 2025
While Ronaldo is believed to have reached out to the Moroccan club, an official source told Reuters that the club isn’t in formal talks to sign him from Al-Nassr yet. “It was just a friendly conversation between Wydad’s president and an agent close to Ronaldo, without formal negotiations,” the source told the news agency.
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It remains to be seen whether the move to Brazil or Morocco is a short-term deal in order to fulfill his desire of playing in the FIFA World Cup, or whether Ronaldo ends up signing a longer contract.
He was also linked to Sporting CP, the leading Portuguese club whose academy he is a product of and from where he began his senior career. And while such a move won’t have him facing Messi in the Club World Cup, it could end up being something of a fairytale finish to a storied career.
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