Cristiano Ronaldo 'has to retire' after Al-Nassr star blasted team-mates, snubbed medal and left stadium
Cristiano Ronaldo was left enraged after Al-Nassr lost to Al-Hilal in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on Saturday
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been urged to retire by fans after Al-Nassr lost 4-1 to Al-Hilal in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on Saturday.
The Portugal international scored during the fixture, bagging his 66th goal for his side since joining from Manchester United at the tail end of 2022.
But the veteran's effort would be in vain, with Al-Hilal running out 4-1 winners.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic levelled for Jorge Jesus' side, with Aleksandar Mitrovic then bagging a brace.
Cristiano Ronaldo was left enraged after Al-Nassr lost to Al-Hilal in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on Saturday
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And Al-Nassr's misery was compounded when Malcom extended Al-Hilal's lead in the 72nd minute.
As the match slipped away, Ronaldo's temper boiled over. He was seen gesturing towards his team-mates, seemingly suggesting that they'd defecated under the pressure.
He opted against picking up his silver medal and stormed out of the stadium in a fit of rage.
While Ronaldo continues to score goals, it's clear that his powers aren't what they used to be. Certainly, he's no longer the player who once mesmerised the football world during spells at United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
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And fans on social media have called on the 39-year-old to retire from football in the wake of his latest setback.
"Ronaldo has to leave that Al Nassr club and retire, his team mates aren’t helping him," said one user.
"I don’t think a human being has loved something as much as Ronaldo loves football. Just retire bro goddamn," said a second.
A third weighed in by saying: "Ronaldo should retire and save his legacy."
Another said: "Ronaldo needs to retire respectfully & stop this egotistical childish acts. How can you as a captain be seen mocking your teammates in broad daylight fgs while the game isn’t over yet."
A fifth opined: "Dear Ronaldo it's time to retire."
And a sixth said: "Ronaldo is finished he should retire in peace."
Ronaldo's current contract at Al-Nassr is due to expire next summer. It is currently unclear what the future holds for the icon, who has a staggering 897 career goals to his name.
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Ronaldo telling his team mates they are asleep pic.twitter.com/BT0jX43HhL
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Rene Meulensteen coached Ronaldo during the forward's first stint at United.
And the Dutchman recently called on the Portugal international to finish his career in Europe, rather than the Middle East.
"There would be some romance in Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Europe to finish his career off, but one of the problems we saw with Portugal is that the focus becomes all about Ronaldo," he told Gambling Zone.
"It was all too focused on him which didn’t help, even though Ronaldo can still do a job as long as he understands his role and what he can contribute.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been urged to retire by fans after Al-Nassr lost 4-1 to Al-Hilal in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on Saturday
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"He also needs to understand that he’s not the same player anymore, not the same as Cristiano Ronaldo when he was 28. He can still play an important role in many aspects.
"So yeah, I think it would be nice for a lot of reasons if he returned to Europe, maybe with Sporting.
"It will be really interesting to see when eventually he announces his retirement from football."