Cristiano Ronaldo, the 39-year-old Portuguese star, currently captain of Al Nassr, a club in Saudi Arabia, has generated speculation among fans about a possible return to Sporting Lisbon. These speculations arose following an intriguing post on Ronaldo’s Instagram.
Since moving to the Middle East, Ronaldo has scored 58 goals and provided 15 assists in 64 appearances. However, he did not perform well at EURO 2024, failing to score in all five games, while the Portuguese team were eliminated by France on penalties in the quarter-finals.
After the disappointing tournament in Germany, Ronaldo took the opportunity to rest with his family. In an Instagram post, he shared a photo of himself resting during a game of padel tennis.
However, with 635 million followers paying attention, one specific detail in the photo caught fans’ attention: a cap with the Sporting Lisbon logo was on the table next to Ronaldo.
Ronaldo began his career at Sporting Lisbon before moving to Manchester United in 2003. The sight of his former club’s cap sparked rumors of a possible return to Sporting.
“Ronaldo will certainly return to Sporting Lisbon. He still has a special affection for his old club”, commented a fan, receiving many likes.
“Ronaldo will return to Sporting Lisbon”, “I’m sure he loves his old club very much”, “Ronaldo never forgets the club where he started”, “Ronaldo’s heart is always focused on Sporting Lisbon” were some of the comments from emphasis.
However, the possibility of Ronaldo returning to Sporting Lisbon seems low. His contract with Al Nassr runs until 2025 and, if Ronaldo does not retire by then, the Portuguese club will hardly have the financial resources to cover his salary. It is worth remembering that Ronaldo receives 200 million euros per year at Al Nassr.
Responding to the rumors, Ronaldo declared: “I have enormous affection for Sporting Lisbon, but I am focused on my current challenges with Al Nassr. The future, only time will tell.”
This statement from Ronaldo puts an end to speculation, at least for now, keeping fans guessing about the next chapters of his career.
