Cristiano Ronaldo will retire at Al-Nassr, says Saudi journalist

Cristiano Ronaldo will either renew his contract with Al-Nassr or retire at the club, according to Saudi journalist Abdulaziz Al-Marsel, who has rejected reports linking the Portugal captain with a move to the Turkish league.

Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu said on the KAFA Sports YouTube channel that an intermediary had contacted Turkish clubs to gauge their interest in signing Ronaldo during the upcoming winter transfer window.

Ronaldo’s contract with Al-Nassr is due to expire at the end of the current season. That would allow him to sign for another club during the winter window before moving there on a free transfer in the summer.

However, Al-Marsel dismissed the reports in a post on X and said Ronaldo wanted to finish his career in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr.

“Cristiano Ronaldo does not want to end his sporting career anywhere other than the Saudi league with Al-Nassr,” Al-Marsel wrote.

He added: “Cristiano has not yet decided whether this season will be his last or not, but in any case Cristiano will retire from football at Al-Nassr.”

“With all due respect to all sources around the world, Cristiano Ronaldo will not play for any club in the world,” he said.

“Either he renews his contract with Al-Nassr after it ends this season, or he concludes his sporting career and retires.”

Ronaldo is in his fourth season with Al-Nassr and is competing for the Roshn Saudi League, King’s Cup, AFC Champions League Elite and Saudi Super Cup.

Al-Nassr are third in the league table on 28 points, two behind leaders Al-Hilal and level on goal difference behind second-placed Al-Qadsiah.

In the AFC Champions League Elite, Al-Nassr sit seventh in the West Region standings with six points from two wins and one defeat. They also have a postponed match against UAE club Al Wasl to play.

The club reached the last 16 of the King’s Cup after beating Al-Diriyah 4-1 in the Riyadh derby. They will face Al-Kholood at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh on Monday, 11 January.

Al-Nassr will also meet Al-Kholood in the Saudi Super Cup semi-final in Kuwait on 19 December. If they win, they will face the winners of the other semi-final between Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah on 23 December.

The speculation comes shortly after Ronaldo announced his retirement from international football following 23 years with Portugal, having made his debut for the national team in 2003.

He ended his international career after 234 appearances and 146 goals, winning three trophies with Portugal: UEFA Euro 2016 and two UEFA Nations League titles, in 2019 and 2025. His decision followed a controversy during the previous international break that prompted questions about his relationship with coach Jorge Jesus.