At 41 years old, the Portuguese star still has two major objectives in front of him: continuing to compete with Portugal and scoring the 21 goals he needs to reach the historic 1,000-goal mark. However, while he continues chasing those goals, his future with Al-Nassr is once again generating uncertainty.
Cristiano Ronaldo Could Leave Al-Nassr in 2027
The final chapter of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career is beginning to take shape, although there are still several pages left to write.
Saud Al-Sarami, a Saudi journalist and former spokesperson for the Riyadh club, told Al Arabiya Sports that he believes Cristiano Ronaldo could leave during the winter transfer window.
“Cristiano is no longer at his best at Al-Nassr, and I think he will leave during the winter transfer window,” Al-Sarami said.
For now, it is only the opinion of the former spokesperson. Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Al-Nassr has announced any decision regarding a possible early departure.
Cristiano Ronaldo Is Already Preparing for Life After Soccer
Al-Sarami’s comments come just weeks after Cristiano Ronaldo himself acknowledged that retirement is getting closer.
In an interview with Vogue published in August, the Portuguese forward admitted that the 2026-27 season could be the final one of his professional career.
“This will probably be my last year in soccer, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy,” the forward said.
Cristiano also explained that he has his future “all planned out” and intends to spend more time with his family, travel and enjoy padel once he finally decides to walk away from the game.
His contract with Al-Nassr runs through 2027, making the end of the current season a natural point for him to make a definitive decision about his career.
1,000 Goals, the Final Major Record Cristiano Is Chasing
Before seriously thinking about retirement, there is one number that continues to follow the final months of his career: 1,000 goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 979 official goals for club and country, leaving him just 21 away from reaching 1,000.
The Portuguese star began his professional career with Sporting CP before going on to play for Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and Al-Nassr, while also building a historic career with Portugal.
At international level, he also holds the world record for goals in men’s international soccer and is the most-capped player in Portugal’s history.
At this stage of his career, reaching 1,000 goals could become the final major individual objective for a player who has spent more than two decades breaking records.
Portugal Is Still Counting on Cristiano Ronaldo
A possible farewell to club soccer would not necessarily mean an immediate goodbye to the national team.
After appearing at his sixth FIFA World Cup in 2026, Cristiano Ronaldo did not announce his retirement from Portugal and remains available for the new cycle led by Jorge Jesus.
The coach knows the forward extremely well after previously managing him at Al-Nassr and is now preparing for his first spell in charge of the Portuguese national team.
The next challenge will be the UEFA Nations League, a competition for which Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be considered as long as neither the player nor the coaching staff makes a different decision.
For Cristiano, it is also a special tournament. The Portuguese captain has already lifted the Nations League twice, including the 2024-25 edition after defeating Spain in the final.
The end is getting closer, and Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer hiding it.
What remains unknown is where that ending will come. It could be with Al-Nassr, after reaching 1,000 goals, or even while wearing the Portugal jersey one final time. For now, the only certainty is that Cristiano has not closed any of those doors.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro
Al Nassr FC
