5 ways Cristiano Ronaldo can prolong his career at the top

#5 Leave Real Madrid

Could it be time for Ronaldo to finally depart the Bernabeu?

It’d be a massively controversial move, given Ronaldo’s iconic status at Real Madrid – the world’s biggest club and the world’s greatest player belong together in the eyes of most fans.

But under such intense pressure at the Bernabeu, with fans and journalists judging his every move, can Ronaldo really prolong his career and age gracefully rather than burning himself out? I’m not too sure.

That’s why a move away from Real this summer could be the best thing for him. I’m not saying he should move to Major League Soccer or anything similar to David Beckham and Steven Gerrard did in the twilight of their careers – he has far more left in the tank than that – but a change of scenery and a move to somewhere with less pressure, where he’s not the constant focal point could help him to adjust into the tail end of his career.

A move for Ronaldo, regardless of the destination, wouldn’t take all the pressure off automatically, simply because he’s the world’s most famous player and thus he’d feel pressure wherever he goes.

But the pressure to win every competition there is, only really comes from playing for Real Madrid, and he wouldn’t feel the same kind of pressure at a different club, perhaps somewhere like Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich with a much less competitive domestic league.

Selling Ronaldo might not be a popular move for Real, but it’d allow them to move on from the CR7 era, and it’d mean their younger stars could move from under his shadow too. It could be the best move for all parties involved.