As Cristiano Ronaldo turns 38, it’s safe to say that his life looks a lot different than it did at this time last year.
Twelve months ago, Ronaldo was getting ready for Man Utd’s trip to Burnley. The day before, United had been shocked by Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, and Ronaldo had missed a penalty. He didn’t score that day, but between then and the end of the season, he had two hat-tricks and scored the most goals for his club.
In February 2023, Ronaldo is no longer at Old Trafford, and he is also no longer in Europe. The Portugal international has had a rough start with his new team, Al-Nassr, and now he has to make some big decisions about his future.
Struggles in Saudi Arabia
Ronaldo was having one of his worst seasons ever in front of goal when he left Manchester United in November because he and the team agreed to end their contract. He had only scored three goals for Erik ten Hag’s team, and Portugal lost in the quarterfinals without him getting his first World Cup knockout goal.
The move to Saudi Arabia was supposed to change that, but not everything has worked out for Ronaldo. He didn’t score on his league debut against Ettifaq, and Al-Nassr also didn’t score in the Saudi Super Cup semi-finals.
In his third game, against Al-Fateh, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner also missed an easy goal. He did finally score, but only after teammate Anderson Talisca had to take a penalty to tie the game in the same game.
Playing until 40
Ronaldo signed a contract with his new team that lasts until 2025. Reports say that he makes £173 million a year, which doesn’t hurt and also lets him keep working until he’s 40.
In an interview with Piers Morgan that aired just before the World Cup, Ronaldo talked about his plans for the future. There, the veteran laid out his plans and the magic number of 40 became clear.
“I want to play two or three more years,” he said, implying that he won’t still be playing when the next World Cup is held in 2026. “So no more than two or three years. “I want to finish by the time I’m 40. I think that 40 is a good age… But I’m not sure, I don’t know what will happen. Sometimes you have a plan for your life, but as I’ve said before, life is always changing. And you can’t predict what will happen.”
A European return?
Ronaldo said that his work in Europe was done when he moved to Saudi Arabia. He scored a huge 701 goals on his home continent and won multiple Champions League titles. This opened the door for a new chapter.
When he joined Al-Nassr, he said, “I broke all the records there (in Europe), and I want to break a few records here.” “I’m here to win, to play, to have fun, and to be a part of the country’s success and culture.” “My job is done in Europe,” he said. “I had a lot of job offers in Europe, Brazil, the US, Australia, and even Portugal. Many clubs wanted to sign me, but I promised to stay with this one because I wanted to play football and be a part of this great country. And it was a challenge for me.”
But just a few weeks later, Al-Nassr manager Rudi Garcia said that his new player still had things to do. The French player said, “He is one of the best players in the world.” “He won’t end his career at Al-Nassr. Instead, he will go back to Europe.”
How Ronaldo ends his career could depend a lot on what happens in the next year. He can still decide how he wants to go out, whether that’s at the top or in the shadows, with a bang or a whimper.
