Why Cristiano Ronaldo should step away from football right now

A third trophy with Portugal

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Cristiano Ronaldo lifted his third major trophy with Portugal and his second Nations League title in June 2025. He found the net in the semi‑final against Germany and stayed on for 88 minutes in the final against Spain, where he struck the equaliser.

"Al Nassr? Yes"

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Per BBC Sport, speaking after Portugal's Nations League victory, Ronaldo said he would be extending his stay at Al Nassr, saying: "Future? Nothing will change. Al Nassr? Yes."

Sitting in third

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Ronaldo's Al Nassr side finished a distant third, with Karim Benzema's Al Ittihad comfortably on top of the league table, finishing 13 points. This is just more evidence that Ronaldo's time as a top-tier player is over.

Penalty miss

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Last year, Ronaldo missed a stoppage-time penalty for Al Nassr in a 1-0 loss to Al Taawoun in the Saudi King's Cup in the Round of 16. This miss meant his trophy hunt in Saudi Arabia continues, having failed to win one in two years there. For us, the uncharacteristic miss, and lack of trophies during his time in Saudi, tell us he needs to consider retiring.

Time to go

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Ronaldo has had one of, if not the greatest, careers in football history, but now, surely it's time for him to call it a day.

Sulking

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

The calls for his retirement intensified after another cup game. On August 17th 2024, his Al Nassr side lost to Al Hilal 4-1 in the Saudi Super Cup. Ronaldo, 39 at the time, was seen sulking and abusing teammates for their performances during the game.

Storming off

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Per reports from TalkSport, Ronaldo was seen storming off the pitch following the match, with the Portuguese not even waiting to collect his runners-up medal.

Nap time

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Al Hilal stormed back, scoring four goals in a row to comfortably win the match, with Ronaldo seen to be suggesting his teammates were asleep with a gesture following one of the goals.

Unedifying

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Ronaldo has always been a famously bad loser, with his competitive spirit being a key reason behind his success. However, in the past, his ability could often drag teams to wins by himself. Now, no longer at his peak, those skills have deserted him, making his demanding attitude seem more like petulance.

“Broken”

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Michael Lee for Planet Football has even gone so far as to claim the Saudi league has "broken" Ronaldo following his embarrassing display during the Super Cup.

Getting worse and worse

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Ronaldo's latest sulk came after a disastrous Euro 2024 campaign, in which the Real Madrid legend failed to score, leading Dietmar Hamann to call his performances "one of the most outrageous acts of selfishness I have ever seen in a team game," according to Goal.

Can’t continue

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Ronaldo did confirm that Euro 2024 will be his last, which is presumably a relief for his national teammates, but Rio Ferdinand has claimed the former United man is looking to carry on playing domestic football for some time yet.

Specific goal in mind

A third trophy with Portugal, "Al Nassr? Yes", Sitting in third, Penalty miss, Time to go, Storming off, Nap time, Unedifying, “Broken”, Getting worse and worse, Can’t continue, Specific goal in mind

Perhaps Ronaldo's desire to continue is fuelled by having a specific goal or target in mind. Whether that is reaching 1000 professional goals or ensuring he won't be overtaken by long-term rival Lionel Messi, we aren't sure, but at this point, he is arguably a net negative to his team, so maybe he needs to put his personal ambitions to one side and call time on his legendary career.

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