What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo after retirement from Portugal team?

International soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo announced his retirement from Portugal’s national team on Thursday, though he is expected to continue playing for Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr for the remainder of the season.

What happened: Ronaldo released an emotional farewell video addressed to Portugal fans, declaring, “The day has come to hand back the number seven shirt of the national team that belongs to us all.” 

“At the end of the day, football is so much more than just a game. Football is about the people,” he said in Portuguese. 

Ronaldo did not discuss his future with Al Nassr in the video. ESPN and Arab News reported that he is expected to remain with the Riyadh-based club for the rest of the Saudi Pro League season, having signed a two-year contract extension in 2025.

Why it matters: Ronaldo became the biggest name in Saudi Arabia’s push to attract international soccer stars when he joined Al Nassr in late 2022. His arrival came as the kingdom expanded sports spending under its Vision 2030 economic diversification initiative.

Ronaldo is one of wealthiest athletes in sports history, ranked by Forbes as the highest-paid athlete in the world every year since 2023. He is paid more than $200 million a year by Al Nassr, with total annual earnings, including from sponsorships, totaling around $300 million. He is worth approximately $1.2 billion.

In December 2025, Ronaldo and longtime partner Georgina Rodriguez bought a property in Nujuma, a luxurious residence located on a Red Sea island off the Saudi coast.

Ronaldo has hinted recently that his time playing soccer is coming to an end. He told the US fashion magazine Vogue in August, “This is probably my last year of football, and I want to leave a spectacular legacy.”

Ronaldo has said in the past he has no plans to coach after retirement, though he has expressed interest in owning a club.

Off the pitch, Ronaldo owns and invests in a number of ventures, including his CR7 clothing and fragrance brand. He and Rodriguez have five children.

Saudi Arabia is now scaling back parts of that sports push amid the financial toll of regional wars. The Saudi Public Investment Fund pulled funding from the LIV Golf league in April and the competition announced plans for a full liquidation in bankruptcy court on Thursday.

The conflict with Yemen’s Houthis is also disrupting Saudi soccer. The Saudi Pro League said Tuesday that it had postponed matches scheduled for the week and would conduct a “wider review” of fixtures. The season is scheduled to conclude in May 2027.

Al Nassr is defending its league title after winning last season, Ronaldo’s first league championship with the club. The team currently sits third in the standings. In its most recent match, on Oct. 29, Ronaldo scored a hat trick in a 5-3 home victory over Al Kholood.

Know more: The announcement follows a dispute with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus. Ronaldo left the national team’s camp in September after Jesus said the striker would not start the next match. Portugal had been eliminated from this summer’s World Cup in the round of 16 by eventual champions Spain.

This developing story has been updated since initial publication.