Cristiano Ronaldo’s international retirement could bring forward end of Al Nassr career

Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to retire from international football could benefit Al Nassr in the short term, but may also signal that the 41-year-old is approaching the final stage of his playing career.

Ronaldo’s 23-year international career came to an end after Portugal announced his retirement from international duty. The decision affects not only the national team but also his Saudi club, with the change likely to bring greater physical benefits during the remainder of his time with Al Nassr.

Ronaldo will now have longer periods of rest because he is no longer expected to take part in Portugal’s training camps and matches during the current international break in November, or the next one in March.

Even if an agreement had been reached with Portugal manager Jorge Jesus for Ronaldo to play fewer matches, the demands of travelling and training remain considerable for a player aged 41. He can instead spend those breaks recovering and enjoying time with his family, allowing him to return to Al Nassr in better condition.

Some may question whether the circumstances surrounding his retirement could affect Ronaldo psychologically at club level. However, he has rarely allowed difficulties to influence his performances for long, usually responding with goals and strong displays.

His hat-trick against Al Kholood at the end of last month was an example of that mentality. Ronaldo scored three times in only 15 minutes, finding the net with his right foot, left foot and head.

The treble came in the same month as the high-profile dispute involving Ronaldo, Portugal and Jorge Jesus, which marked the first major step towards his international retirement. Despite that, he went on to score the seventh hat-trick of his Al Nassr career and take his total to 985 goals.

He is now 15 goals away from reaching 1,000 in his career, the milestone he has long wanted to achieve.

Ronaldo’s international retirement could therefore point towards the end of his playing career, potentially after the conclusion of the current season. The decision may already have been made, although it could be announced only after he reaches 1,000 goals.

Portugal might have delayed that moment if Ronaldo had chosen to continue through Euro 2028, which is around a year and a half away. Under that scenario, he would have completed next season with Al Nassr before ending his career at the European Championship in the summer of the following year.

With his international career now over, Ronaldo’s main remaining target is the 1,000-goal mark. If he achieves it, he is likely to announce his retirement from football altogether.

Unless circumstances change, Al Nassr will be the club where Ronaldo reaches that landmark. It would be the first time he has recorded a hundred-goal milestone with the Saudi side: he reached 700 and 800 goals while with Manchester United, and 900 with Portugal.