Cristiano Ronaldo has seen an unfortunate end to his FIFA World Cup 2022 journey. Morocco knocked Portugal out in the quarterfinals to send the soccer world into a frenzy. Since the exit, Ronaldo’s future has been a major question mark. Rumors of his retirement have emerged and it looks like they aren’t slowing down any time soon as well.
Earlier today, more rumors of his transfer to a former team emerged. It has been one that he has achieved almost everything, at the club level. Does it mean he might be returning?
Is Cristiano Ronaldo going to Real Madrid?
Fabrizio Romano announced that Ronaldo was training in Valdebebas, Real Madrid’s training center in Madrid. The famous reporter mentioned that the 5x Ballon d’Or winner was there to only keep his current form up.
Cristiano Ronaldo has trained at Real Madrid sporting center Valdebebas in the last hours — on a separated pitch 🚨⚪️ #Ronaldo
As revealed by @relevo/@hugocerezo, Cristiano’s just working there to keep his form thanks to great relationship with the club, waiting for new chapter. pic.twitter.com/mrbFneIPkt
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 14, 2022
Cristiano is still a free agent, and he is reportedly aiming to find a new home that is currently in the UEFA Champions League. According to Romano, Real Madrid might not be one. Ronaldo is only in Madrid because of the relationship the two entities share.
The news prompted plenty of traction online from soccer fans, which isn’t surprising at all, considering the impact Ronaldo has on the sport. Many took to Twitter to share their interesting opinions on the soccer legend taking his time to train with Real Madrid. A fan even wrote, “He’s begging Madrid to take him back when he’s not even better than Mariano.”
He’s begging Madrid to take him back when he’s not even better than Mariano🤣🤣
— Saz 🇦🇷 (@SazMCFC) December 14, 2022
bro thinks hes on the team😭😭😭
— yzh 🇦🇷 (@utdyam2) December 14, 2022
Blud already begging Madrid to take him back 😭😭😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Beno SarkCess (@BenopaOnyx1) December 14, 2022
He is so desperate for Madrid to take him back, he might as well pay to play there😭😭
— ⁴⁷Kele (@kele_mcfc) December 14, 2022
Ronaldo about to be second option to Benzema
— Edet Rhinelander (@rer4life) December 14, 2022
Many have had a go at Ronaldo, claiming that he is “begging Real Madrid to take him back”. Together with that, some have mentioned that he wouldn’t even make it into the team. Carlo Ancelotti is the manager of the defending UCL champions right now. It was with Ancelotti that Ronaldo had one of the most successful records in his career.
When CR7 played under the Italian manager, he scored 112 goals and made 47 assists in just 101 games. That speaks at length about the type of chemistry and relationship the pair shared. Together with that, Ronaldo’s record with Madrid was astounding. He scored 450 goals in just 438 appearances over a 9-year period.
However, considering the fact that Ronaldo has been a shadow of his former self at times in recent seasons, and the fact that Karim Benzema just won the 2022 Ballon d’Or, it seems unlikely for Ronaldo to break into the team.
With that said, Ronaldo has always made it a point to prove the world wrong. He has come back from dry spells before in his career, and he still looks like a freak of nature despite his age (37). Although he might not end up as a Real Madrid player, it would be quite interesting to see where his future lies.