Ronaldo Bernabeu farewell floated as Madrid pundit urges Real to host Al Nassr in revived trophy match

A prominent Madrid journalist has publicly called on Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the Santiago Bernabeu for a farewell appearance in a revived edition of the club’s traditional pre-season trophy.

Tomas Roncero, a well-known Real Madrid supporter and columnist for Spanish newspaper AS, urged Perez to invite Ronaldo’s current club Al Nassr to Madrid for a friendly before the start of the new season, with the Portuguese forward lining up once more at the Bernabeu.

In a video published by AS, Roncero appealed for Real Madrid to stage a match against the Saudi Pro League side to contest what would be the 40th edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy, a competition the club has not held since 2018.

Call to revive a dormant Real Madrid tradition

The Santiago Bernabeu Trophy, organised by Real Madrid as a curtain-raiser ahead of each campaign, was first played in 1979 and became a regular pre-season fixture for the Spanish giants.

However, the competition stopped after its 39th edition, which took place in 2018 – the same year Ronaldo left the club.

Roncero’s comments have been framed as an attempt to bring both the discontinued tournament and Ronaldo back to the stadium that defined the peak years of his career, after an absence of eight years.

He argued that a Real Madrid v Al Nassr meeting for the 40th Santiago Bernabeu Trophy would allow the club to pay tribute to its record goalscorer in front of the home crowd, while also restoring a long-standing pre-season tradition.

Ronaldo’s journey since leaving Real Madrid

Ronaldo departed Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 to join Juventus, ending a hugely successful nine-year spell in the Spanish capital.

The forward spent three seasons with the Italian club before returning to Manchester United, where he had previously made his name in European football. His second stint at Old Trafford lasted a season and a half.

In January 2023, Ronaldo completed a high-profile move to Saudi Arabia to sign for Al Nassr, becoming the captain and star attraction of the Riyadh-based side in the Saudi Pro League.

According to the original report, the coming season is set to be the final year of Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr, a situation that has inevitably led to speculation about how and where the 39-year-old might choose to end his playing career.

Roncero’s proposal taps into that context, presenting a potential Bernabeu appearance as a symbolic moment that could coincide with the closing stages of Ronaldo’s time in top-level football, and possibly precede his retirement.

Real Madrid’s record scorer

Ronaldo remains the all-time leading scorer in Real Madrid’s history, with 450 goals scored across all competitions during his nine seasons at the club between 2009 and 2018.

During that period he became one of the central figures in Real Madrid’s modern era, contributing heavily to multiple domestic and European titles and forging a prolific reputation at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Roncero’s public appeal does not reflect any official position from Real Madrid or Al Nassr, and there has been no indication from either club that talks have taken place over such a fixture.

But his intervention underlines the enduring connection between Ronaldo and the Bernabeu, and highlights a growing sentiment among some in Madrid who would like to see the Portugal forward given a formal on-pitch farewell at the stadium he once called home.