Riyadh, June 26: Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-year contract extension with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr on Thursday.
The Portugal great’s deal lets him continue playing until at least the age of 42 and will give him the chance to add to his record-breaking career.
“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” Ronaldo said in a social media post.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner moved to Saudi Arabia at the end of 2022 in one of the most shocking transfers in soccer history after leaving Manchester United. The spectacular deal was reportedly worth up to $200 million a year and led to a slew of top players leaving Europe for the oil-rich kingdom, including Neymar and Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo sparked uncertainty about his future at the end of the Saudi season last month when announcing the “chapter is over.” But the announcement on Thursday put an end to speculation about his next move.
“Al-Nassr forever,” he said in a video accompanying the announcement.
The deal is evidence the 40-year-old former Real Madrid forward wants to achieve more in what has been one of the finest soccer careers of all time.
The five-time Champions League winner has just added another trophy to his collection after helping Portugal lift the UEFA Nations League — and it is likely he will still be representing his country at next year’s World Cup.
In all, Ronaldo has won 28 major trophies with club and country. He is the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with 141 goals.
But trophies have been harder to come by in Saudi Arabia where he has had only limited success.
His one trophy so far was the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023 and Al-Nassr is still to win the Saudi Pro League in three attempts with Ronaldo in the team.
Still, his latest deal was hailed by the club, which posted a video of him walking on a beach with the caption “The Story continues..” along with emojis of a goat and a gold heart.
Ronaldo is considered by many to be soccer’s greatest of all time, a term often abbreviated as GOAT.
He and Lionel Messi have had a years-long rivalry as the two finest players of their generation, with the duel reaching its peak when they played for Madrid and Barcelona respectively.
The intensity of the rivalry has diminished in recent years as both players have entered the latter stages of their careers and are playing in less heralded leagues, with Messi joining MLS team Inter Miami in 2023. (AP)
