On Cristiano Ronaldo’s 41st birthday, the Manchester United legend refused to play in his final game, going on strike against Al Nasr, with both his short-term and long-term future in the spotlight.
Cristiano Ronaldo embroiled in altercation with Al Nasr owners (Image: Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo has stopped playing. Not a good thing, of course, but the Manchester United legend is currently on strike at Al Nasr and refused to play in Monday’s most recent match.
Ronaldo, who celebrated his 41st birthday on Thursday, didn’t celebrate much after Karim Benzema’s controversial move to Al Nasr’s title rivals Al Hilal. Benzema signed with the Saudi Professional League leaders on a free transfer after his contract with Al Ittihad came to an end.
That’s because all three clubs are owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Officials insist they did not break any rules, but the move left Ronaldo furious, with Al Hilal leading by one point.
The fallout not only heightened concerns that he would leave Saudi Arabia, but also raised questions about his long-term future. On Ronaldo’s birthday, Mirror Football takes a look at how his career has progressed.
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read more: Karim Benzema rubs salt into Cristiano Ronaldo’s wounds with Real Madrid comments after transferread more: Cristiano Ronaldo’s position on stunning return to Manchester United revealed after Saudi Arabia attack
furious queue
The falling out with PIF is not Ronaldo’s first rodeo. Like many famous people, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has made many enemies over the years.
Ronaldo notoriously couldn’t see eye to eye with Erik ten Hag during his troubled second season at United. In an explosive interview with Piers Morgan after what turned out to be his last game with the Red Devils, the Portugal captain slammed Ten Hag, former manager Ralf Rangnick and the Glazers and crossed his own bridge.
“You can’t rebuild a club you don’t understand,” Ronaldo later said of Ten Hag in September 2024, less than two months before the Dutchman was sacked.
But not everything was rosy under Sir Alex Ferguson. In the summer of 2008, Ronaldo accused United of making him a “slave” by blocking his proposed move to Real Madrid.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag’s relationship lasted six months (Image: Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)
Coach Ferguson negotiated peace and ultimately delayed the transfer for 12 months. “He flew to Portugal a few weeks ago to clear the air and he spoke to some of the players,” Ferguson told MUTV. “The boy had a hard time with the approach from Spain, but he calmed down after learning about my position.”
In December 2022, Ronaldo left United and parted ways with his long-term agent Jorge Mendes. Mendes has a good relationship with the hierarchy at Old Trafford and is reported to have objected to the acrimonious nature of Ronaldo’s departure.
Ronaldo’s big-money move to Al Nasr was largely overseen by personal manager Ricardo Legfe, after his contract was terminated following an interview with Morgan. However, this wasn’t a very heated argument as he and Mendes are still “close”.
“Cristiano will always be in my heart,” Mendes said in 2023. “He is a special player and a special person for me. If I had thought a few years ago that I could get a player half as valuable as Cristiano, I would have signed him for less! And all of us Portuguese should be proud that we had a player like him and that we still have a player like him.”
Sir Alex Ferguson had to convince Cristiano Ronaldo to stay in 2008 (Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
retirement tips
Time catches up with everyone. Ronaldo has tried his best to fight it, but even he admits the end is near. First of all, the former Real Madrid superstar has already admitted that he won’t hang up his shoes until he scores 1,000 goals in his career – which currently stands at 961.
Once he passes that milestone, Ronaldo will evaluate his future. According to one theory, he is waiting to play alongside his son Cristiano Jr. “I want to do that, I want to do that,” the forward said on his YouTube channel last year. “It’s not something that will keep me up at night, but I want it.
“You’ll see. It’s more in his hands than mine. The years are starting to pass and obviously Chris is going to have to step away from football at some point because the years I’m extending… there will come a time when that won’t be possible.”
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. is making a name for himself at youth level (Image: Orhan Cicek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
He currently plays for Al Nasr’s Under-15 team, but a father-son partnership could take place as early as next season. This would coincide with Ronaldo’s contract, which expires in June 2027.
This summer will be their final World Cup stint as they aim to win one of the few trophies they have ever had. Ronaldo declared in November that he was “feeling really good at this moment” and confirmed he would be retiring “soon”.
“I’ve scored goals and I still feel fast and sharp. I’m enjoying playing for the national team. But of course, let’s be honest, it’s probably a year or two away.”
mother’s wish
If Ronaldo leaves Al Nasr before he retires, there is one good club he could sign for: Sporting Lisbon. It was during his time with the Portuguese giants that he broke out as a wonderkid, famously impressing for United in a pre-season friendly in 2003.
Ronaldo’s mother Dolores Aveiro said in 2021 that she was keen for Ronaldo to return to Sporting someday. “Ronaldo has to come back here,” she told club media. “If it were my choice, he would already be here.
“He likes to watch Sporting games. I already told him: “Son, before I die, I want to see you come back to Sporting.” He says “Let’s see.” But if it’s not him, it’s Cristian Niño (his son)!
Should Cristiano Ronaldo return to Sporting Lisbon before retiring? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
Dolores Aveiro wants Cristiano Ronaldo to play for Sporting Lisbon again (Image: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
What about your coaching career?
So what’s next for Ronaldo after football? Certainly not the coach if his 2024 comments in an interview with Rio Ferdinand are true.
“It will be difficult for me to become a coach someday,” Ronaldo admitted. “It’s difficult, especially in football, because I don’t have a passion for this generation, because they don’t accept advice based on our experience. They think they know everything and think their phones, TikTok and Instagram will give them a good education.
“I have other things to worry about. I’m starting a new chapter in my life, and it’s the business part that I’m looking forward to. It’s a challenge for me and I can learn other areas that I don’t know about and be more involved in my business, which I think will be good.”
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