Cristiano Ronaldo Confirms He Is Staying At Al Nassr Despite Trophyless First Season In Saudi Arabia

Author:
Robert Summerscales
Publish date:
Jun 1, 2023 7:57 PM EDT

Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that he will remain as an Al Nassr player next season.

The 38-year-old scored 14 goals in 19 games for Al Nassr in the 2022/23 campaign but his team still finished without a trophy.

Ronaldo had expected to land silverware in his first season in Saudi Arabia, but his team's failure to achieve this objective has not dented his belief that they can be champions next year.

"I am happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here," he said during an interview published on the Saudi Pro League's social media channels this week.

He continued: "My expectation was a little bit different. To be honest, I expected to win something this year. But it is not always the way we think or the way we want. Sometimes we need passion, consistency, and persistence to achieve the best things.

"So, I still believe that next year we will improve a lot. Let us say in the last five or six months, the team has improved a lot, even the league, all the teams improved.

"It takes time sometimes, but if you believe and you think it is your goal, I think everything is possible. I expected to win something this year, but we didn't, but next year I am really positive and confident that things will change, and we go in a better way. So, let us believe that and work on that."

Ronaldo could be joined in Saudi Arabia by some other world stars this summer.

Lionel Messi has been widely linked with a move to Al-Hilal, while Saudi champions Al-Ittihad are said to have been in talks with Karim Benzema.

"If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, 'old players', they are very welcome because if that happens, the league will improve a little bit," added Ronaldo, who has said multiple times that the SPL can become one of the top five leagues in the world.

Ronaldo's next opportunity to win a trophy with Al Nassr will come early next season courtesy of the Arab Club Champions Cup.

Al Nassr will compete in Group C in July along with fellow Saudi side Al-Shabab, Egyptian champions Zamalek, and Union Monastirienne of Tunisia.

The top two teams in each group will qualify for the quarter-finals, with the final taking place on August 5.

READ MORE: Has Cristiano Ronaldo Made Al Nassr Worse?