WHAT HAPPENED? There appears to be little chance of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner hanging up his boots any time soon, despite enduring a testing few months in the 2022-23 campaign. Ronaldo has been released as a free agent by United after criticising them in an explosive interview, while more frustration was endured when suffering a quarter-final defeat to Morocco at the World Cup finals in Qatar. The 37-year-old has been benched regularly for club and country, while coming in for regular criticism, and Evra believes that could lead the all-time great to reconsider his future options.

WHAT THEY SAID: Evra has told Sky Sports: “When I talk to him I don’t speak about what he is doing next, we are talking more about life and family. I don’t know. I don’t know if Ronaldo will retire. Sometimes when you have got all of those critics, and especially at the end of your career, you are like ‘ok, I think it is time to stop’. Especially when you are not in the starting XI with your national team, because Cristiano wanted to play and to be fit. To win the World Cup with his country was his dream. Now he doesn’t have that dream. I won’t talk for Cristiano but I won’t be surprised if he he says ‘I’ll retire’, because now everything Cristiano Ronado does – he’s a bad person, he’s a bad player whatever. I wouldn’t be surprised if he decides to retire.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: For now, the expectation is that Ronaldo will play on, with the decision taken to make use of the training facilities at former employers Real Madrid as he seeks to keep himself in shape ahead of another challenge at club level being accepted.

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WHAT NEXT? Ronaldo has been linked with teams in England, the USA and Spain, but it is an offer from Saudi Arabia that continues to generate the most speculation when it comes to the iconic forward’s next move – with a lucrative contract reportedly waiting to be signed in the Middle East.