Ronaldo in talks over bumper new deal to keep playing until 2026 World Cup

Tom Weber

Updated: 12 Jul 2024 20:01 BST
3 min read

Al-Nassr have opened talks with Cristiano Ronaldo to extend his contract until 2026, according to a report.

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39 years of age now, the Portuguese legend continues to perform at club level. While Ronaldo's outings at Euro 2024 left a lot to be desired, the veteran remains an eminently important player for Al-Nassr.

Having joined the Saudi giants in the winter of 2022, Ronaldo has since gone to net an absurd 58 goals in 64 games, while also contributing 15 assists. Last season, he finished as the Pro League's top scorer with 35 goals in just 31 fixtures, but major success at the team level has thus far eluded him in the Middle East.

Al-Nassr finished as runners-up in his two campaigns and have also failed to win the King Cup so far during Ronaldo's time in Saudi Arabia. The upcoming season is, as things stand, his last with Al-Nassr, but the Riyadh giants are keen to keep him around for another year.

Ronaldo in contract talks

According to Ben Jacobs, Al-Nassr have now opened pre-planned talks with Ronaldo over a one-year contract extension that would see his deal run until 2026. These negotiations are, however, unlikely to accelerate anytime soon, with CR7 still mulling over his future.

Renewing his deal could not only enable the superstar to keep playing at a relatively decent level until the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico but it would also come with a pay rise - although the Portuguese is already thought to be the world's highest-paid athlete.

Crucially from a Saudi point of view, tying Ronaldo down to a contract extension would make the league more attractive and provide added leverage in negotiating a new TV deal, with any new agreement coming into force next year.