Cristiano Ronaldo drops hint on future after Portugal’s World Cup exit

Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have hinted that he could potentially remain in the Middle East despite Portugal’s World Cup exit.

Fernando Santos’ men exited the tournament at the quarter-final stage having been downed by surprise package Morocco. Youssef En-Nesyri’s goal proved enough for the African side to book their place in the last four.

In the aftermath of his nation’s elimination, Ronaldo issued a statement addressing supporters and his thoughts, having failed to add a World Cup to his bloated trophy cabinet. It remains to be seen what the future holds for the veteran forward on the club and international fronts.

He finds himself as a free agent following his exit from Manchester United in the aftermath of the explosive interview with Piers Morgan. Meanwhile, his future with Portugal remains up in the air, having been benched in each of the last two matches for his nation at the World Cup.

In his statement, Ronaldo addressed his future and suggested that he could remain soaking up the sun beyond the World Cup. Taking to Instagram, he said: “Not much more to say for now. Thank you Portugal.

“Thank you Qatar. The dream was nice while it lasted… Now, it’s hoping that the weather will be good advisor and allow each one to draw their own conclusions.”

Ronaldo has been linked with a number of moves since departing Old Trafford. Saudi club Al-Nassr have already reportedly lodged a big-money offer for his services – something that could potentially make the Portuguese’s comments make sense.

It appears that there is still work to do regarding a move to the Saudi league but recent reports have suggested that a deal is ‘close’, with Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes spearheading talks. Whilst it appears that the Portuguese could be on his way to Al-Nassr, former Chelsea defender William Gallas has urged his ex-employers to make a move for the striker.

He said: “What I know is Todd Boehly wanted Cristiano Ronaldo in his squad when Thomas Tuchel did not. Maybe it’s a good opportunity for six months to bring Ronaldo to Chelsea. But as Ronaldo said, if he wins a World Cup, he’ll retire!

“It would be good for Ronaldo to go to Chelsea so he can still play in the Champions League and it can benefit Chelsea too because they need a striker.”

Should Ronaldo complete a move to Al-Nassr in the coming days, he could be in line to make his debut for the club sooner rather than later. The side restart their league campaign against Al-Raed on Friday 16 December.