He stays. Cristiano Ronaldo is open to extending his contract at Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese star’s contract expires in June next year. Despite being nearly 40 years old, he’s adamant about keeping on playing if his body allows him to.
Age is but a number for Ronaldo. He continues to defy critics with his goal-scoring prowess, scoring his 900th career goal for Portugal last month. He notched his 65th goal in 72 matches for Al-Nassr FC last night, one he dedicated to his late father.
Why would Ronaldo continue playing at Al Nassr?
In January 2022, Ronaldo became the world’s highest-paid athlete when he signed a $200 million per year deal with the Riyadh club.
He settled in quickly, renting two floors for his family and assistants at the iconic Kingdom Tour hotel. He now owns a mansion in an unknown location where he and his wife, Georgina Rodriguez, can live together legally under Saudi marriage laws.
The smiles on Ronaldo’s face across social media, most notably on his new 64 million subscribed YouTube channel, signal a content footballer. Last month, he became the first person to reach 1 billion followers across all social channels.
The primary reason the Al Nassr star wants to keep playing football into 2026 is to play in the next World Cup. He’ll be 41 years old then, and winning the big one would be the perfect sign-off to an extraordinary career.
The other reason?
Other than financial. Extending his time in Saudi Arabia continues his quest for 1,000 goals. He’s not retiring until then, and that’s a fact.
