Al-Nassr chief Fernando Hierro breaks silence on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future after star forward said ‘chapter is over’ to spark rumors
Al-Nassr sporting director Fernando Hierro has finally broken his silence over the question that is on every football fan's mind currently: will Cristiano Ronaldo stay or leave? While hinting that the rumours of Ronaldo leaving were not untrue, Hierro said that the club is doing everything possible to extend his contract.
The Portuguese magnifico is one of the biggest players in the world and will become a free agent this summer. At Al-Nassr, Ronaldo scored 93 goals in 105 matches and ended the ongoing season with a whopping 35 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions.
However, his stellar form in front of goal was not enough to help Al-Nassr lift the Saudi Pro League title, with them eventually finishing third in the standings. Perhaps this was the reason behind Ronaldo's famously cryptic post on the social media site Instagram, where he wrote that 'this chapter is over.'
You can see Ronaldo's post here:
In response to Cristiano Ronaldo's plans for the future, Hierro has mentioned that Al-Nassr are in contact with him over the same issue. The former Real Madrid centre-back also mentioned that Ronaldo's presence was a national project for Saudi Arabia, right from the time he was signed by Al-Nassr in 2022.
"Ronaldo's presence from the beginning is a national project. He is a huge phenomenon in the history of football and has helped the league grow. We are in contact to renew his contract and hope he continues with us,” said Hierro (via Al Nassr Zone on X).
Where will Cristiano Ronaldo go after leaving Al-Nassr?
At 40, Cristiano Ronaldo is no spring chicken anymore but he has shown his brilliance in front of goal at Al-Nassr. While he may regret that he could not quite reach 100 goals for the club, what will bug him all the more is that he could win only one trophy with them - the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2022.
If he ends up becoming a free agent, Ronaldo may be game to move anywhere in the world, and can even end up joining his most famous rival, Lionel Messi, in the Major League Soccer in the USA.
It is highly unlikely that Ronaldo will return to European football, where he has won everything there is to be won. He played in three of the best clubs in Europe in his prime: Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, winning a total of five UEFA Champions League titles.