Cristiano Ronaldo's retirement hint, furious rows and mother's wish for next club

Cristiano Ronaldo's future in both the short and long term is under the spotlight on his 41st birthday, with the Manchester United legend on strike at Al-Nassr, having refused to play their last match

Cristiano Ronaldo has stopped playing. Not for good, of course, but the Manchester United legend is currently on strike at Al-Nassr and refused to play in their most recent game on Monday.

Ronaldo, who turned 41 on Thursday, wasn't celebrating much after Karim Benzema controversially joined Al-Nassr's title rivals, Al-Hilal. Having seen his contract with Al-Ittihad terminated, Benzema signed for the Saudi Pro League leaders on a free transfer.

That's because all three clubs are owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Sources insist that no rules have been broken but the move has left Ronaldo furious, with Al-Hilal one point clear at the top.

Not only has the fallout raised fears that he could leave Saudi Arabia, but also brought into question his long-term future. On his birthday, Mirror Football looks at where Ronaldo's career lies.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK!Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook page

READ MORE : Karim Benzema rubs salt in Cristiano Ronaldo wounds with Real Madrid remark after transferREAD MORE : Cristiano Ronaldo's position on stunning Man Utd return revealed after Saudi fallout

Furious rows

A fallout with PIF isn't Ronaldo's first rodeo. Like most public figures of his standing, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has made plenty of enemies along the way.

Ronaldo infamously didn't see eye-to-eye with Erik ten Hag during his troubled second spell with United. In a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan after what proved to be his final game for the Red Devils, the Portugal captain burned his bridges by slamming Ten Hag, ex-manager Ralf Rangnick and the Glazers.

"You can't rebuild a club you don't understand," Ronaldo later said of Ten Hag in September 2024, less than two months before the Dutchman was sacked.

Not everything was rosy under Sir Alex Ferguson, though. In the summer of 2008, Ronaldo accused United of making him a 'slave' by blocking his proposed move to Real Madrid.

Ferguson held peace talks and ultimately delayed the transfer by 12 months. "I flew to Portugal some weeks ago and we cleared the air and he spoke to some of the players," Ferguson told MUTV. "The boy has been through a troubled time in terms of the approaches from Spain but once he knew my stance, he then settled down."

In December 2022, Ronaldo's departure from United saw him part ways with long-time agent Jorge Mendes. It's reported that Mendes opposed the acrimonious nature of Ronaldo's exit, having had a good relationship with the Old Trafford hierarchy.

After his contract was torn up following the interview with Morgan, Ronaldo's mega-money transfer to Al-Nassr was chiefly overseen by his personal manager, Ricardo Regufe. However, this wasn't so much of a furious row, as he and Mendes remain 'close'.

"Cristiano will always be in my heart," Mendes explained in 2023. "He is a special player and a special person for me. If I, a few years ago, thought that I could have a player with half the value of Cristiano, I would sign for less! And all of us Portuguese should be proud to have had and still have a player like him."

Retirement hint

Time catches up with everyone, and although Ronaldo has done his best to defy it, even he admits that he's close to the end. First of all, the former Real Madrid superstar has already confirmed won't hang up his boots until he scores his 1,000th career goal - he's currently on 961.

Once he passes that milestone, Ronaldo will evaluate his future. One theory is that he's waiting to play a match alongside his son, Cristiano Jr. "I would like it, I would like it," the forward said on his YouTube channel last year. "It's not something that keeps me up at night, but I would like it.

"We'll see. It's more in his hands than in mine. The years are starting to pass and obviously Cris will have to, one day, leave football, because the years I'm extending... There will come a time when it's no longer possible."

Currently playing for Al-Nassr's under-15 side, it's possible that we could see a father-and-son partnership as soon as next season. That'd line up with Ronaldo's contract which expires in June 2027.

This summer will also mark his final World Cup campaign, as he bids to win one of the few trophies that he's never lifted. "I feel very good in this moment," Ronaldo affirmed in November, admitting that he'll be retiring 'soon'.

"I score goals, I still feel quick and sharp. I'm enjoying my game in the national team. But of course, let's be honest. What I mean by soon is probably one or two years."

Mother's wish

If Ronaldo were to leave Al-Nassr before retirement, there's one outstanding club that he'd be tipped to sign for: Sporting Lisbon. It was with the Portuguese giants that he broke through as a wonderkid, famously impressing United in a 2003 pre-season friendly.

His mother, Dolores Aveiro, stated in 2021 that she's desperate for Ronaldo to return to Sporting one day. "Ronaldo has to come back here," she told club media. "If it were my choice, he would already be here.

"He likes to watch Sporting games. I've already told him: 'Son, before I die, I want to see you return to Sporting'. He says: 'Let's see': But if it can't be him, then Cristianinho (his son)!"

Should Cristiano Ronaldo go back to Sporting Lisbon before he retires? Have your say in the comments section.

Coaching career?

What's next for Ronaldo after football, then? Certainly not coaching if his 2024 comments in an interview with Rio Ferdinand are anything to go by.

"For me will be difficult one day to be a coach," Ronaldo admitted. "Because I don't have passions for this generation, it's difficult especially in football, because they don't take advice by our experience. They think they know everything, they think the phones will give you good education, the TikTok, the Instagram.

"I have other things to worry about, another chapter of my life that is a business part that I'm excited about. It will be a challenge to me and learn other areas I don't know, be more involved in my business and I think will be good."

Click here to read article