Marcotti: Deal to take Ronaldo to Saudi Pro League is nonsense (1:16)Gab Marcotti details why he thinks a proposed move to Al Nassr for Cristiano Ronaldo is complete nonsense. (1:16)
Cristiano Ronaldo denied he has agreed to join Saudi club Al Nassr following Portugal’s World Cup win against Switzerland on Tuesday.
“No, it isn’t true,” the Portuguese striker said when asked about a move after a 6-1 win in the round of 16.
The Portugal captain is a free agent after he mutually agreed to terminate his contract with Manchester United in November.
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Reports in Spain claimed on Monday that Ronaldo will play for Al-Nassr from Jan. 1, having agreed a 2 1/2 -year contract with the Saudi team — a deal reportedly worth EUR200 million per season.
While Al-Nassr is the best and only offer Ronaldo has on the table, he has not signed anything with any club, sources told ESPN.
The former Real Madrid forward is said to be fully focused on the World Cup in Qatar and will make a decision regarding his future after the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo will make a decision on his future after Portugal’s World Cup campaign. Pablo Morano/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Al-Nassr had tried to lure Ronaldo in the previous transfer window, offering United a fee worth EUR30m and EUR275m to the player.
However, Ronaldo, who had requested to leave United in the summer to play Champions League football, did not consider Al-Nassr’s offer at the time because of his desire to continue playing in a competitive league.
There was interest in the summer from Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid but no offers arrived, and he remained at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo, 37, went into the World Cup with an uncertain future and under scrutiny following his controversial interview in which he criticised United, the club’s owners and coach Erik ten Hag.
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United later announced they had parted company with the player, with Ronaldo saying in a statement it was “the right time to seek a new challenge.”
Ronaldo, who returned to United in August 2021, had played for the club between 2003 and 2009, winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and two League Cups.
At the World Cup in Qatar, Ronaldo started in all three of Portugal’s Group H games until he was benched for the round of 16 match.
After Portugal advanced to the quarterfinals with a hat trick from Cristiano’s replacement Goncalo Ramos, coach Fernando Santos said his ongoing role in the team is “something which has to be defined”.
Ronaldo became the first male player to score in five World Cups after his goal in Portugal’s opening game against Ghana. It is his only goal so far in the competition.