It is evident for soccer fans around the world that Cristiano Ronaldo has been getting irritated with the front office at Premier League Club Manchester United. Due to a bitter relationship between Ronaldo and the current manager Erik Ten Hag, Ronaldo has been upset with the way the club has treated him in their past matches. According to Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, Ronaldo tried to transfer to a different club team that was competing in the Champions League. However, multiple sources have revealed that due to Ronaldo’s age and the cost of transfer, the negotiations fell through. This news came right before the 2022 World Cup, being held in Qatar, where Ronaldo is representing his home country, Portugal. Ronaldo is also representing Portugal with fellow Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes. 

There was not always a bitter relationship between the star left-winger and the club. Ronaldo began his professional career at Manchester United way back in 2003, coached by legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguerson. Ronaldo’s first stint at United was considered his breakthrough phase, and he quickly established himself as one of the alpha players on United, and eventually the entirety of the Premier League. Ronaldo won the 2008 Ballon d’Or and the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year. Ronaldo then transferred to La Liga Club side, Real Madrid, where he continued his individual success and helped Madrid win five Champions League titles. Ronaldo then transferred again to Serie A club Juventus in 2018. At Juve, Ronaldo helped the team win consecutive Serie A titles before departing again in 2021 back to Manchester United. 

Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United came with an abundance of problems. Ronaldo went two months without scoring a goal, and the team struggled to win games. This resulted in the team finishing sixth in the UEFA Europa League. Ten Hag failed to bring Ronaldo out “out of respect for his career,” and in another match a few days later, Ronaldo refused to be brought out as a substitute. Ronaldo was visibly irritated with Ten Hag trying to bring him out in the last few minutes of the game, so much so that he left the pitch before the full time whistle was called. Ten Hag then made the decision to drop Ronaldo from the squad for the team's upcoming game against Chelsea. 

In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, Ronaldo went on record saying that “there was no evolution” from when Fergueson was managing the team, and Ten Hag tried to embarrass and provoke him when he tried to bring Ronaldo out in the final minutes of the match against Tottenham. Ronaldo also claimed that United was more of a “marketing club” because there is a reputation that all United cares about is making money and not actually winning. This could be attributed to the club's struggle in the past decade, since Fergueson’s departure. Ultimately, Manchester United terminated Ronaldo’s contract Nov. 22, two days after the World Cup in Qatar began. 

It is clear that Ronaldo is currently focused on Portugal and their chance in the World Cup, as they have advanced to the round of 16 and will face Switzerland on Dec. 6. However, after reading all the news outlets’ coverage, soccer fans across the globe would surely find it difficult to not think about what Ronaldo’s plans are with his club career after the World Cup ends. Ultimately, the public will just have to wait and see which club Ronaldo decides to bring his talents to.