The time has come for Cristiano Ronaldo to retire: No one wants to see all-time great continue to humiliate himself after latest Al-Nassr tantrum

The individual who has achieved a particular accomplishment on five separate occasions The Ballon d’Or recipient’s abilities have been declining for several years, and currently, he is significantly tarnishing his reputation.

Cristiano Ronaldo has exhibited several notable displays of anger throughout his career, but few have been as immature and humiliating as his outburst during Al-Nassr’s loss to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Super Cup final. Ronaldo provided his team with an intuitive goal from a short distance just before halftime, but Luis Castro’s team utterly collapsed in the second half and suffered a resounding 4-1 defeat.

Malcom, a former player for Barcelona, delivered the decisive blow by taking advantage of a terrible mistake made by Al-Nassr custodian Bento. This incident pushed Ronaldo to his breaking point. The 39-year-old individual reproached his colleagues for their lack of alertness, standing in the centre of the field with both hands placed next to his ear. He then proceeded to make an indecent gesture insinuating that they had experienced a loss of control over their bodily functions.

The sight was pitiful. The captain of Al-Nassr, who is also the highest-earning football player in the world, displayed a remarkable absence of elegance and self-awareness at a crucial moment. With 18 minutes remaining in regular time, Al-Hilal scored their fourth goal. Although it would have been challenging to equalise, Al-Nassr could have at least preserved their reputation.

Regrettably, this iteration of Ronaldo exclusively prioritises his individual performance. There is a clear correlation between Al-Nassr’s lack of trophy wins and the significant impact made by his groundbreaking entrance in January of the previous year. Ronaldo is refusing to accept the reality that he is no longer the exceptional player he used to be. Instead of attracting audiences, his juvenile attitude now pushes them away. He desperately tries to remain relevant in an era that has already moved on from him.

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Ronaldo’s remarkable record of scoring 66 goals in 72 outings for Al-Nassr should be acknowledged. However, despite the significant investment in high-profile players since Ronaldo’s arrival, the Saudi Pro League is far from being on par with Europe’s top five leagues in terms of quality.

Upon Ronaldo’s arrival to Al-Nassr, the team was leading the league. The goals scored by the Portuguese striker have not improved the team; instead, they have shifted the focus entirely onto him.

Al-Ittihad emerged as the champions of the 2022-23 season. However, in the next season, Al-Hilal dominated the league and finished at the top of the table, securing a comfortable 14-point lead over Al-Nassr, without suffering any defeats. Ronaldo has succumbed to his frustration with every detrimental setback.

In February, Ronaldo received a suspension for making an offensive gesture at Al-Shabab fans after being provoked by shouts about his everlasting rival Lionel Messi. Two months later, he was ejected from a match for deliberately elbowing defender Ali Al-Bulaihi while Al-Nassr suffered another defeat against Al-Hilal.

Ronaldo’s actions on Sunday were predictable. He exited the tunnel without collecting his second-place medal, displaying a complete disassociation with Al-Nassr’s lack of success. What type of exemplar does that set for the younger players in the team?

Ronaldo’s decline as a role model for the next generation is a stark contrast to his previous years of setting unparalleled standards of excellence during his peak. He has also become a subject of mockery on social media, and even if he achieves another season with 50 goals for Al-Nassr, it will not alter that perception.
This leads us to the fundamental inquiry that is on the minds of many devoted football enthusiasts: why has Ronaldo not chosen to end his career? His lack of recent achievements and consistent negative feedback have resulted in widespread criticism of his performances in the past four years.

Ronaldo’s final season at Juventus exhibited evident indications of decline before his triumphant return to Manchester United swiftly deteriorated. Despite Ronaldo’s claims of accomplishing everything in European football, he was compelled to relocate to a different continent. After his dramatic departure from Old Trafford, the experienced striker was not considered by any other prominent clubs.

Ronaldo has not achieved tangible success in the Middle East, and it seems probable that he will not do so this season either, due to the significant difference in quality between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal. Another year of unsuccessful outcomes and unfavourable news stories are unlikely to result in a sudden realisation or profound understanding.

“I cannot disclose too many details, but I have been collaborating with Cristiano privately, and he will continue playing for as long as he desires,” stated Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo’s former teammate at Manchester United, on a recent episode of Rio Reacts. “He is not going anywhere.” I was utterly astonished. Furthermore, you will eventually observe that he will play for a minimum of three more years.