Cristiano Ronaldo hints at a surprising new career path

The Al Nassr captain has opened the door to a potential new post-football career path once he has hung up his boots.

Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his interest in becoming a football club owner once he retires from playing.

Ronaldo is in Madrid after completing his debut Saudi Pro League campaign with Al Nassr. The Portuguese star attended an event on Wednesday and spoke on several topics. One of them was the possibility of becoming a club owner. He didn’t rule it out, but he recognized the need to wait and see how the industry develops in the coming years.

“I don’t rule it out,” Ronaldo said when asked about his thoughts on owning a football club as per the Spanish TV network Antena 3.

“We’ll see how football and the leagues evolve. In the future, I would like to.”

Ronaldo predicts more big-name signings in Saudi Arabia

On Tuesday, another big name in football, Karim Benzema, Ronaldo’s former Real Madrid teammate, and the current Ballon d’Or holder, signed a two-year contract with Al Ittihad, another Saudi club. His deal also includes an option for a third season. While neither the club nor the player have disclosed his salary, reports suggest that it could be around €400 million.

Ronaldo was not surprised by Benzema’s move to Saudi Arabia, saying: “I knew I would go to Saudi Arabia and open the ‘box’. It will be one of the most important leagues in the world within three years.”

The 38-year-old also predicted that more players would follow in Benzema’s footsteps. Several players have already been linked to Saudi clubs, including N’Golo Kante, Sergio Busquets, Ilkay Gundogan, Alexis Sanchez, and Adama Traore.

Ronaldo will soon head over to Portugal to prepare for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers this month. The first game will be against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 17. The Group J leaders will then visit Iceland for one last game three days later.