A lot of uncertainty surrounds Cristiano Ronaldo’s future after a deeply disappointing season with Al-Nassr. In recent hours, Real Madrid’s name has surfaced for the first time.
Ronaldo played for the Royal Club from 2009 until his surprise departure in 2018 to Juventus. Since then, his career has clearly declined on all levels.
In 2025, Ronaldo will have gone four years without winning an official team title. The player is extremely angry and, in principle, does not want to renew his contract with Al-Nassr.
Ronaldo is not interested in individual achievements, but rather wants to win team titles again. This has not happened with Al-Nassr. To make matters worse, the team lost its qualifying spot for the AFC Champions League. As a result, the Portuguese will not participate in international football next season, a prospect he categorically rejects.
Ronaldo Wants to Return to Europe
ESPN reported that Ronaldo wants to return to European football.
Ronaldo is currently looking for a European club to join for free after his contract with Al-Nassr expires, and he hopes this club will participate in the 2025 Club World Cup.
There is no news yet about the identity of the European club that might acquire the services of the 40-year-old, or whether any clubs are interested in signing him.
Ronaldo Dreams of Returning to Real Madrid
A journalist close to Ronaldo and personal friend, Eddie Aguirre, confirmed the ESPN report and that Ronaldo aspires to return to Europe.
Aguirre indicated that the chapter with Al-Nassr is likely closed forever, and that even if Ronaldo does not return to Europe, he will move to another Saudi club such as Al-Hilal or Al-Ahli.
At the same time, Aguirre hinted that Ronaldo dreams, in every sense of the word, of returning to Real Madrid, participating in the World Cup with Los Blancos, then playing the full next season and retiring at the top of his game.
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Florentino Pérez Obstructs Ronaldo’s Return
Real Madrid has yet to respond to Aguirre’s hints, but Florentino Pérez is certainly the biggest obstacle to Ronaldo’s return to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Pérez believes that Ronaldo’s era at Madrid is over, and although the relationship between the two has improved recently, the president has not forgotten how the Portuguese left Real Madrid in a less-than-ideal way.
Pérez wants to build a young team that can compete with Barcelona domestically and dominate Europe, and Ronaldo has no place among the current young players.
Ronaldo’s arrival will also increase the pressure on coach Xabi Alonso, as Ronaldo refuses to accept a place on the bench, while Real Madrid has Kylian Mbappé in the same position on their roster.