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Football icon Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed he will most likely retire at Al-Nassr in two or three years. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also admitted he is still in great shape and is happy to continue plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo gave an exclusive interview to NOW, in which he stated (via @TimelineCR7):
“I don't know if it [retirement] will happen soon. Two or three years. I don't know, maybe I will retire with Al-Nassr. I am in good shape in Saudi Arabia and in this league. Most likely I will retire here. I am very happy to play in the Saudi League and I want to continue.”
During the same interview, the 39-year-old also revealed his plans for his retirement from the Portugal national team:
"When I leave the national team I will not tell anyone, it will be a very spontaneous decision on my part. But what I want now is to be able to help the national team."
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr as a free agent on December 30, 2022, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal in the process. The Portugal ace is currently the highest-paid footballer in the world, earning €200 million per year. He has also flourished individually, garnering 61 goals and 16 assists in 67 appearances across competitions.
While Ronaldo will be out of contract next summer, it now appears he may sign a new deal with Al-Nassr over returning to Europe to see out the remaining years of his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time and will leave behind an exceptional legacy, having found success at Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. As of date, he has scored 892 goals and provided 284 assists in 1,228 appearances across competitions for club and country.
"This is not the balance that everyone expected" - Cristiano Ronaldo speaks out after Euro 2024 disappointment
From the aforementioned interview, Cristiano Ronaldo also delved into Portugal's disappointing Euro 2024 campaign, admitting they failed to find the right balance to succeed. He also declared his intentions to represent A Selecao for the upcoming Nations League tournament.
When asked about the Euros, Ronaldo said:
“This is not the balance that everyone expected, that we were supposed to win. We learned a very important lesson from the Euros and I see a bright future for this new generation of Portuguese players along with the current one. We must always believe that Portugal will perform better in the upcoming tournaments."
He added:
"Right now what I want is to be able to help the national team in its upcoming matches. We have the Nations League coming up soon and I would really like to play."
Portugal went into Euro 2024 as one of the favorites to win after going flawless in the qualifiers. Unfortunately, Ronaldo struggled for form, scoring zero goals and providing one assist in five games as they were eliminated by France in the quarter-finals.
Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to retain his spot in Portugal's starting XI in their upcoming Nations League fixture in Group A against Croatia on Thursday, September 5.
