Recently, the suspense of the future of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo (C Ronaldo) has finally been revealed. He officially renewed his contract with his current club, Saudi Riyadh Victory Club, for two years until 2027! .
Previously, Ronaldo's two-and-a-half-year contract with the Saudi Professional League will expire at the end of this month. This contract was seen as an important symbol of Saudi Arabia's attraction of top international stars at the time. At the end of the season, Ronaldo's "end of chapter" on social media sparked widespread speculation that he might leave the team.
In the following weeks, transfer rumors were rife. There are reports that Ronaldo may join a team participating in the newly expanded Club World Cup in the short term, with Botafogo (Brazil), River Plate (Argentina) and Wydad Athletic (Morocco) all considered potential next homes. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also indirectly contributed to these rumors.
However, Ronaldo eventually rejected these invitations and chose to stay at Riyadh Victory. The club officially released a video with the theme "The Story Continues". In the video, Ronaldo strolled on the white sandy beach surrounded by palm trees and said: "Riyadh Victory, it will always belong here."
The new contract will last until the end of the 2026-27 season. By then, Ronaldo will be 42 years old and usher in the 25th season of his career. After the official announcement of the contract extension, Ronaldo posted on social media to echo his previous remarks: "A new chapter begins. The same passion, the same dream. Let's make history together."
In the same week that Ronaldo's contract extension was announced, Riyadh Victory Club officially announced that head coach Stefano Pioli and his coaching team had left.
The Italian coach, who has coached Lazio, Inter Milan and AC Milan, took over the team in September last year but failed to achieve his goal of winning the Saudi League. Al-Qaeda has only won the domestic top league championship once in the past decade and has not won the league championship since Ronaldo joined.
Last season, the team only finished third in the league, with a significant gap from the top. Therefore, the club will participate in the second level of the AFC Champions League in the 2025-26 season. This event is the second-level club competition in Asian football, equivalent to UEFA's Europa League.
