Cristiano Ronaldo might be nearly 40 but is is showing no signs of slowing down - though it sounds like the GOAT may not end his career where his mother ideally would like him to.
The Portugal captain turns 39 very shortly, but despite his advancing years, still scored more goals than any player in world football in 2023 with 54 strikes in 59 games for both club and country.
Since 2022, Ronaldo has been with Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, moving to the Middle East following the end of his second spell with Manchester United - and helped to spark an exodus from European football to the Gulf state.
Ronaldo came through the youth team ranks at Sporting Lisbon before moving to United in 2003, spending six years at Old Trafford in a trophy laden spell during which he became the best player in the world.
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It led to a then world record £80m move to Real Madrid, the Portugal international spending nine years at the Santiago Bernabeu and becoming the club's all-time top scorer as he won the Champions League four times, adding to the one he won in 2008 with United.
Ronaldo joined Italian side Juventus and spent three years in Turin, before moving back to Old Trafford in 2021 and then to Saudi Arabia in 2022.
Ronaldo's mother Dolores Aveiro has been a huge influence for him and previously expressed a wish for her son to play for Sporting Lisbon again before she dies, once again representing the club where he came through the youth team ranks at before heading to England aged 18.
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She said in 2022: "Ronaldo has to come back here [Sporting]. If it were my choice, he would already be here. He likes to watch Sporting games. "I've already told him: 'Son, before I die, I want to see you return to Sporting.'"
But the attacker appears to have poured cold water over that possibility of playing in his homeland before he hangs up his boots, adding he is happy at Al Nassr and in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking to Record, Ronaldo said: "It’s not worth creating expectations, because I have already said that I want to stay in Al Nassr this year and next year.
"I feel happy in Saudi Arabia. They treat me well. The tournament has huge potential and they are continuing to grow, contrary to what many people think.
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“Returning to play in the Portuguese league is meaningless. I will turn 39 in a few days, and I will play this remaining season and another year at Al Nassr, which is what I want the most. And when I’m 40, as my friend José Semedo jokingly says, let’s see what happens.
“If I play until the age of forty, it would be a fantastic goal at this level. After that, if everything is fine, 41, 42… we don’t know. But the possibility of playing in Portugal is out of the question.”
It sounds like that potential fairy-tale won't be happening.
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Topics: Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon