Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Football, Saudi Pro League, Transfer News, FIFA Club World Cup, Gianni Infantino, IShowSpeed
Ben McCrum
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr, Football, Saudi Pro League, Transfer News, FIFA Club World Cup, Gianni Infantino, IShowSpeed
Cristiano Ronaldo has shocked fans with an announcement suggesting that he will be leaving Al Nassr following their final game of the season.
On Monday evening, the Saudi Pro League season came to an end following 34 matchweeks, with Al Ittihad crowned as champions.
Despite boasting players like Jhon Duran, Sadio Mane and, of course, Ronaldo, Al Nassr finished the season in third and were knocked out of the King's Cup in the round of 16.
After their final match, a 3-2 loss to Al Fateh, Ronaldo took to social media and he has shocked fans after seemingly confirming that he will be leaving Al Nassr following the expiration of his current contract next month.
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Writing across his social media accounts, the 40-year-old confirmed: "This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all."
Fans of the Real Madrid and Manchester United legend will no doubt be relieved to hear that, although he appears set to leave the Saudi Arabian club, it does not look like Ronaldo will be hanging up the boots this summer.
Instead, the striker will continue his career with another club, although where exactly he will go to next remains to be seen.
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The shock announcement comes just two days after FIFA president Gianni Infantino teased that Ronaldo could play at the upcoming Club World Cup, despite Al Nassr failing to qualify for the competition.
The Pro League side failed to book a place in the newly expanded 32-team tournament, with Al Hilal the only Saudi team set to compete when the competitions gets underway in the United States this summer.
Speaking in a interview on popular influencer IShowSpeed's livestream, Infantino said: "Ronaldo might play for one of the teams as well at the Club World Cup. There are discussions."
When pushed to answer directly if the Portuguese star would be playing in the competition, the FIFA boss replied: "Yeah, Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup, yeah.
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"There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club is watching and is interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup… who knows, who knows."
The likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, former club Real Madrid and Lionel Messi's Inter Miami are all competing in the Club World Cup, but it's not known if they are among the clubs discussing a move for Ronaldo.
According to a report Spanish publication Marca, an unnamed Brazilian club has tabled an offer to Ronaldo.
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Of the four Brazilian sides that qualified for the Club World Cup, Botafogo may be the team pursuing a move for Ronaldo after coach Renato Paiva admitted he was keen on the move when asked by reporters.
He said: "Christmas is only in December. But if he came, you can't say no to a star like that. I don't know anything - I'm just answering the question.
"But, as I said, coaches always want the best. Ronaldo, even at his age, is still a goal-scoring machine. In a team that creates chance after chance, he would be good."