Ronaldo declares "Al Nassr forever" after signing two-year contract extension

With the words "Al Nassr forever," Cristiano Ronaldo ended uncertainty about his future after signing a two-year contract extension with the Saudi Arabian club on Thursday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's latest deal means he will keep playing until at least the age of 42, giving him a chance to add to his record-breaking career achievements.

"A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let's make history together," the Portuguese superstar wrote in a social media post accompanied by a picture of him holding up a shirt reading "Ronaldo 2027."

The contract sees Ronaldo extend his time in Saudi Arabia after moving to Al Nassr upon leaving Manchester United at the end of 2022, in one of the most shocking transfers in football history. The deal was reportedly worth up to $200 million a year and helped lead to a slew of top players, including Neymar and Karim Benzema, leaving Europe for the Middle East kingdom.

With his contract due to expire, the 40-year-old Ronaldo sparked uncertainty at the end of the Saudi Pro League season last month, when he said the "chapter is over." But he has now ended the speculation by inking a new contract.

The deal is evidence the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward wants to achieve more. The move to a less-challenging league has also not hindered his standing with the Portuguese national team.

The five-time UEFA Champions League winner has lifted 28 major trophies for club and country, and earlier in June helped Portugal claim the UEFA Nations League title for a second time. The man nicknamed "CR7" is also the all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with 141 goals.

The FIFA World Cup is the only major accolade missing from his résumé, and the striker may get one last chance to lift football's grandest prize at next year's tournament in Canada, the USA, and Mexico.

Despite helping raise the profile of Saudi Arabian football while scoring 77 goals in 74 league appearances, Ronaldo has found trophies hard to come by at Al Nassr. Their only honor so far has been the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023. He has come up short in three attempts to win the Saudi Pro League.