Cristiano Ronaldo recently signed a new two-year contract with Al Nasr after a period of uncertainty over his future, but has indicated he has no intention of retiring until at least 2027.
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his intention to quit playing club football completely, subject to conditions. Ronaldo, 40, continues to score goals as a hobby in Saudi Arabia and signed a lucrative two-year contract extension with Al Nasr in July.
This lucrative contract, which helped Ronaldo become the world’s first billionaire footballer, runs until 2027 and suggests that the legendary forward is not thinking of retiring anytime soon and is fully committed to Al Nasr’s project, despite not winning any major trophies with them. However, in a dream world, Ronaldo would not be playing for any club.
The former Manchester United megastar, who returned to Portugal for the international slot, was presented with the Globo Prestigio Award at the Portugal Football Globe Awards gala earlier this week. Ronaldo is being celebrated for his 22-year international career, during which he led his country to three trophies as captain.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner loves playing for his national team so much that, if possible, he would stop playing for Al Nasr and just play for Portugal. “I often say: If I could, I would like to play football only for the national team. I don’t want to play for other clubs, because it is the culmination and the pinnacle of being a footballer,” Ronaldo told the audience via ‘Record’.
The 40-year-old continued, “I think you guys are probably tired of seeing me here and at ceremonies. But I think I still have a lot to contribute to the national team and to football.”
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“I would like to continue playing for a few more years, but I don’t think there will be many, to be honest. I would like to thank all my teammates and what I have learned from this young generation as well.
“For me, it’s an honor to be with you all. Our goal is to win the next two games and qualify for the World Cup. The World Cup is just around the corner. We have to think only about the present, but we also have to think ahead. It would be a dream, but one step at a time.”
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Ronaldo also spoke to Channel 11 about his ambitions for the final years of his trophy-laden career. “I can’t make long-term plans. Right now I’m making short-term plans because it gives me more energy and a desire to live,” he answered.
“I’m enjoying every day, every training session and every match. Then we’ll see what happens.”
But of course winning the World Cup is his priority. Ronaldo added: “Of course our goal is to qualify for the World Cup and win it. That’s what we all want, but we have to proceed step by step.”
“We have these two games now. But it’s the same thing that coach Roberto Martinez said in his speech today. The important thing is to enjoy the moment. We have two home games with our fans.”
Portugal host the Republic of Ireland in Lisbon on Saturday before hosting Hungary next Tuesday.
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