With immediate effect, Cristiano Ronaldo has parted ways with Manchester United. Where will he next show up?
With his fiery pre-World Cup interview, which resulted in the termination of his contract on Tuesday, the Portugal star put himself on the market.
The 37-year-old attacker now has the opportunity to impress potential suitors as a free agent and demonstrate that he can still compete at the highest level for his nation in Qatar.
After failing to obtain a transfer to a Champions League club in the summer, his future may very well depend on it.
His options appear even more constrained at this point in the season if he is determined to compete in the semifinals of the premier European club football tournament after the World Cup.
The final 16 teams in the Champions League can only offer Ronaldo a very small fraction of the rumored 500,000 pounds (594,000 dollars) per week income he reportedly received at Manchester United. And there hasn’t been much proof that they would be eager to sign him.
Ronaldo made it obvious in his interview with Piers Morgan that he still thinks he is among the world’s best players by criticizing United manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. Where will his career lead him next, though?
A CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLUB
If Ronaldo hopes to compete in the competition when it returns in February, there are just 16 to select from. Then, the issue becomes who could afford him.
The ideal situation would be to have one final fling with a club that is truly outstanding. However, a temporary solution that would last until the conclusion of the season might be his greatest chance of success.
Both Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich and Karim Benzema of Real Madrid have been forced to withdraw from the World Cup due to injuries.
If either of those clubs worried being shorthanded in the second half of the season, Ronaldo may be a tempting last-minute option.
A PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB
Chelsea thought about moving in the summer, but nothing came of it.
Ronaldo would not seem to fit in with Graham Potter’s long-term plans, since he already has to cope with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, an aging striker.
Piers Morgan, an Arsenal supporter, is urging Ronaldo to join his club, but the Premier League’s top side has been working hard to develop a youthful squad under Mikel Arteta, and Ronaldo would be a deviation from that.
Could Newcastle, which is financed by Saudi Arabia, be persuaded to make its first real statement signing under its new ownership?
A RETURN HOME
Ronaldo’s career would have a beautiful bookend if he could wrap it off at Sporting Lisbon, where he began, and where he would be able to return to the Champions League the following year.
If he chose to pursue this course of action, he would have to accept a large pay reduction.
Arabia Saudite
In the summer, Saudi Arabia was the only country to show significant interest in Ronaldo. Even while moving there would probably be the most financially rewarding option for him, it would be a significant step backwards in terms of his remaining sporting desire.
It would give his fierce rival Lionel Messi, who has 129 goals, the opportunity to pass him and further extend his record as the all-time greatest scorer in the Champions League with 140 goals.
MLS
It might be time for him to expand his brand to the US and become the biggest player in MLS history.
He would have to accept that his days of competing in the Champions League are finished because he could not possibly match his pay.
However, for a man with more than 500 million Instagram followers, this would be an opportunity to relocate to the largest market in the world off the field and a new adventure.
