Portugal icon Cristiano Ronaldo talks about his future after winning the Middle East Player of the Year award, with the former Manchester United star hinting at the possibility of leaving Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo has declared he will not retire until he reaches 1,000 goals, leaving the door open for a spectacular return to Europe before calling an end to his legendary career.
Ronaldo, 40, admitted earlier this year that his career would be “soon” over, with the World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the United States being his last. The former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar currently plays in Saudi Arabia with Al Nasr and signed a new two-year contract with the club in June.
This means Ronaldo will remain at the club until he is 42 years old. Ronaldo has continued his rise in the Middle East, scoring 13 goals in 14 appearances for Al Nasr this season, putting them four points clear at the top of the Saudi Professional League.
Despite scoring 112 goals in 125 appearances, Ronaldo has only won one silverware with Al-Nasr, the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup. And now, with 956 goals under his belt, Ronaldo appears to be planning to achieve another big goal in his career.
“It’s difficult to keep playing, but I’m motivated,” Ronaldo said after being named Middle East Player of the Year at the Globe Soccer Awards.
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“My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn’t matter where I play, whether it’s in the Middle East or Europe. I have always enjoyed football and I want to continue.”
“You know what my goals are. I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number you know (1,000 goals). Barring any injuries, I’ll definitely reach that number.”
Ronaldo also attracted attention in other parts of the ceremony. The forward looked delighted after receiving a compliment from Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.
In the 18-year-old’s acceptance speech after being named Best Forward and Best Under-23 Boy Player on Sunday, he paid tribute to Ronaldo. When Yamal was asked who he would like to be compared to, he gave an answer that pleased Ronaldo.
“At the end of the day, it’s best not to compare yourself to anyone,” the 18-year-old replied. “Players like Cristiano Ronaldo did this because they wanted to be themselves and not compare themselves to others. I want to forge my own path.”
The Al Nasr striker couldn’t help but smile as the camera turned to Ronaldo as he sat with his fiancée Georgina Rodriguez.
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