‘Cristiano Ronaldo has to go to America,’ says former teammate

With CR7's Al Nassr contract set to expire this summer, a move to the MLS has been floated as a possible next step.

The Saudi Pro League returns from its winter break this week for the second half of the 2024/25 season. As it stands, Al Ittihad lead the league, with Al Hilal just two points behind them.

Back in fourth place, 11 points off the top, is Al Nassr. Cristiano Ronaldo's side have not won the championship since 2018/19 and the Portuguese star has a decision to make this summer.

CR7's lucrative two-and-a-half-year contract expires at the end of June and he has yet to decide his future. With 80 goals from 89 games for Al Nassr, the Saudi club would certainly want to keep him, but a former teammate of Ronaldo believes a departure would be best in the twilight of his career.

Defender Wes Brown made 362 appearances for Manchester United, playing alongside Ronaldo in the treble-winning team of 2007/08. In an interview with The Sports Daily, Brown suggested a move to MLS should be on the cards.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has to go to America, especially because Lionel Messi is there too. I've seen Ronaldo play a few times and the level is impressive; He consistently finds the back of the net and seems remarkably fit for his age, while still sprinting well at the age of 40.”

Despite turning 40 next month, there is little indication that Ronaldo will retire anytime soon. He remains a regular starter for the Portuguese national team and can still finish as well as almost any striker in world football. Another motivating factor could be the almost mythical prospect of achieving a thousand career goals. Before the era of Ronaldo and Messi, no player had come close to that milestone, but now, with 916 professional goals to his name, Ronaldo has an outside chance of becoming the first.

That mentality and incredible longevity were cited by Brown as reasons why he will soon be looking for a new challenge, even at age 40.

“He has a burning desire to play for as long as possible, and he is a player with the privilege of choosing where he wants to play next. I don't see him retiring anytime soon; he will continue to break records.”