Despite receiving a £168m ‘offer’ to extend his Al Nassr contract (as revealed by our pals at TEAMtalk), Ronaldo appears increasingly likely to leave their money ‘on the table’, with this mammoth deal not enough to keep him content at Saudi Arabia’s third-best team.
Just as the five-time Ballon d’Or winner left Manchester United kicking and screaming amid their failure to qualify for the Champions League (and justified prolonged snub from Erik ten Hag), he is suffering from similar FOMO at Al Nassr, as they are not competing in this summer’s Club World Cup.
The supposed new elite club competition, which no one’s really *rsed about, kicks off next month with huge prize money at stake for the teams involved, while the players and managers would surely prefer to put their feet up and take a well-earned rest.
Forty-year-old Ronaldo, the workaholic that he is, is reportedly desperate to feature at the Club World Cup and represents a rather pricey free transfer option for clubs ahead of the special 10-day window to do deals, with his Al Nassr contract set to expire on June 30.
The middle-aged man-child has admitted that his “chapter” at Al Nassr is “over”, but he seemingly reckons he has at least another year left as he pursues one last transfer before finally announcing his retirement.
But where will he go? Of the six most likely clubs to sign him (according to bookmakers), we have ranked them from least to most likely to land the former Man Utd, Real Madrid and Juventus star…
6) Napoli
The newly-crowned Serie A champions were heavily linked with Ronaldo during his stint in purgatory as he waited on a Man Utd exit, but Napoli and other European sides competing in the Champions League missed out as his big-money move to Al Nassr proved where his priorities lie.
Having reportedly performed a U-turn to retain Antonio Conte, Napoli are looking to make statement signings, a la Liverpool, to cement themselves as the top dogs in Italy.
Premier League-linked Jonathan David is reportedly set to follow Man City icon Kevin De Bruyne in heading to Naples, but they are unlikely to be joined by Ronaldo, who has already had one unspectacular stint in Serie A and will inevitably fancy an alternative challenge.
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5) Los Angeles FC
The MLS outfit already has Oliver Giroud, Hugo Lloris and – most notably – former Leicester City star Cengiz Under in their squad and they appear to be the most likely US-based side to land Ronaldo.
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a move for Ronaldo to the MLS makes plenty of sense from a PR perspective, while a renewal of the Lionel Messi rivalry would be a soccer fan’s wet dream.
Still, the upcoming clubs are more likely to be Ronaldo’s next team amid Los Angeles FC’s absence from the Club World Cup, so unless they are his move after next, the chances of seeing him play in the MLS are likely over. Oh well, we’ll live…
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4) Sporting Lisbon
It is always nice when a footballer ends a career where he started, and Ronaldo could have that if he opts for a more nostalgic, rather than money-fuelled, next move after departing Al Nassr.
Despite the Portuguese champions being sporadically linked with Ronaldo in recent years, it would go against their model of buying and moulding youngsters to sell them for big fees if they sanctioned his return, though I’m sure they would be willing to make an exception in this case.
However, the latter stages of his Man Utd and Portugal careers show he can now only perform to a certain level and the money on offer elsewhere would be too good to dismiss. You could foresee him returning to Sporting as a manager/part-owner down the line, though.
3) CF Monterrey
The Mexican side are the first Club World Cup competitor to be mentioned here. This possible move would see him reunite with Mohamed Salah’s best friend, Sergio Ramos, while he’d also line up alongside ex-Sevilla star Lucas Ocampos.
The additions of Ramos and Ocampos make it clear that the rich Liga MX outfit are having a go at attracting past-it stars looking for an easy cash-grab at the end of their careers, so Ronaldo would fit right in.
The remaining two clubs in this ranking also have a huge tick regarding the salary they can offer, but CF Monterrey and Liga MX do not have the same level of pulling power.
READ: Man Utd ‘close’ to signing absolutely nobody but let’s pretend…
2) Botafogo
South American side Botafogo are a more attractive proposition than CF Monterrey, with the Brazilian Serie A retaining historical affection for players of a certain vintage and this transfer would also please a former Man Utd star, who previously ‘craved a reunion’ with Ronaldo at Al Nassr.
As a recent report on his three remarkable demands to Al Nassr suggests, Ronaldo wants a lot from whoever he’s playing for, with having a say on off-field matters a likely contributing factor to his final decision.
Botafogo are willing to make such a proposal, with a reported ‘offer’ worth £88m submitted to Ronaldo by owner John Textor, who also holds a stake in Crystal Palace, to play for the Brazilian side and also gain a “percentage of shares” in the American businessman’s Eagle Football Holdings.
Tempting as this might be, we reckon Ronaldo’s mind might already be made up…
1) Al-Hilal
The Saudi Pro League outfit are the firm favourite to sign Ronaldo after submitting a ‘very powerful offer’ to lure him from their rivals.
It has been widely reported that they are in the market for a world-famous star to fill the void left by Neymar following his inharmonious departure and there’s no bigger name to attract eyeballs than Ronaldo.
Al-Hilal are Saudi Arabia’s representative in the Club World Cup and given the nation’s sustained desire for publicity, it is hardly a surprise that dealbreakers are pushing for Ronaldo to switch to this season’s Saudi Pro League runners-up, even if it is temporarily.
Their sportswashing scheme is in full swing and Ronaldo has been entrenched in this process since moving to the Middle East in 2022, with the mutually-beneficial partnership between the forward and PIF expected to continue.
