Ronaldo posts cryptic milestone message: where could he be heading next?

Cristiano Ronaldo brought his stint at Al-Nassr to a close as only he knows how - by scoring. He was the first to get on the scoreboard in tonight’s away clash at Al-Fateh - a header on 42 minutes which was almost immediately canceled out by the hosts, who went on to win the game 3-2.

It would have been nice to bow out with a win, but the 40-year-old does reach a new milestone - 800 career goals at club level and his second Pro League Golden Boot award. Now, after playing his final game for Al-Nassr, he is plotting his next move.

His contract with the Saudi Pro League side will expire on June 30, bringing to an end a three-year spell in the Middle East but there is a chance that Cristiano could be on the move much sooner.

The player even hinted as much this evening - publishing a post on X in which he suggested that he is ready for a new challenge. “This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all.” he wrote.

Cristiano aiming to get to 1,000 goals

Cristiano finishes his time at Al-Nassr just one goal shy of reaching his century - but one goal nearer to his ultimate aim of getting to 1,000 goals during his whole professional career. His overall tally stands at 936, meaning he has another 64 goals to get to hit his target.

There have been plenty of rumors about where CR7 could be heading next - possibly one of the 32 teams taking part in this summer’s Club World Cup in the United States. And as FIFA have opened a special window for clubs who want to strengthen their squads ahead of the tournament, he could join another team before the window closes on June 10.

In theory, Cristiano sign up to play in the Club World Cup with a participating team and then sign a new contract with another club for the 2025-26 season, (or even renew with Al-Nassr although from his post, that seems unlikely). As he is under contract until the end of next month, he would need to reach agreement with Al-Nassr to release him early to play the Club World Cup.

Possible CWC teams that could sign Cristiano

Al-Hilal have been named as one potential destination, as have several Brazilian sides including: Botafogo, Flamengo, Palmeiras and Fluminense.

And seeing as Cristiano is still getting regular playing time with Portugal, there is another source to continue aiming for his 1,000-goal dream. As it stands, he has scored 136 goals in 2019 appearances for the national team - more than anyone else in history. He will get his first chance to boost his goals haul in the Nations League semi-final against Germany on June 4.