Cristiano Ronaldo (40) responded immediately to the news that Jesse Lingard (32, FC Seoul) has re-signed for two years with Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr. He supported his future.

Al Nassr announced on the 26th (Korea time) that "we have signed a two-year contract with Ronaldo until the summer of 2027."

With this contract, Ronaldo will play for Al Nassr until he is 42 years old.

His existing contract was set to expire at the end of June. There had been recent transfer rumors, but Ronaldo's choice was to re-sign.

Ronaldo announced the contract news on his social media account, saying, "A new chapter has begun. The same passion, the same dream. Let's make history together."

Jesse Lingard, a foreign striker of FC Seoul in K League 1, who has regarded Ronaldo as an 'idol' since childhood, liked this post.

Lingard has maintained a deep connection with Ronaldo.

In 2003, Lingard, who was part of Manchester United's youth team, was taught by Ronaldo, who had just joined Manchester United after leaving Sporting CP. Ronaldo often demonstrated his skills in front of the youth players, one of whom was Lingard. Lingard later stated in an interview, "When I was young, I learned stepovers and kick techniques directly from Ronaldo. That scene is still vivid in my memory."

As time passed, Lingard moved up to Manchester United's first team, and in the summer of 2021, Ronaldo returned to Manchester United from Juventus after 12 years, allowing them to finally play together on the same team. At that time, Lingard welcomed Ronaldo by saying on his social media account, "Welcome back home."

The two played together in the Premier League and European competitions during the 2021-2022 season.

Although Lingard and Ronaldo are now far apart, their friendship remains strong.

Meanwhile, last season, Ronaldo scored 35 goals in 41 matches across all competitions for Al Nassr, becoming the league's top scorer for two consecutive seasons. However, he did not lift the league championship trophy.

As of now, he has made a total of 111 appearances for Al Nassr, scoring 99 goals.

Ronaldo has scored a total of 938 goals combined for club and country and is nearing 1,000 career goals.

Recently, Ronaldo, who led the Portugal national team to victory in the UEFA Nations League, is aiming for his sixth World Cup in 2026.

[OSEN]