Cardinale Explores Al Nassr Talks and Ronaldo's Future
Gerry Cardinale has never hidden his ambition for AC Milan. Now he is openly weighing up an expansion of his football empire that could eventually intersect with one of the game’s biggest icons: Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Milan owner, in Italy this week for the Rossoneri’s Serie A fixtures against Udinese and Bologna and the unveiling of the proposed new shared stadium with Inter, confirmed that early discussions have taken place over a potential move for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr.
“There have been conversations to assess the opportunity of Al Nassr and they approached me to examine it, but we are at a preliminary stage,” Cardinale told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
No grandstanding. No denial either. Just a clear admission that the Saudi club is on his desk.
Multi-club vision, Middle East focus
Cardinale’s RedBird Capital already controls Milan and Toulouse, and the American investor made it clear that a broader multi-club network remains firmly on his agenda.
“I do a lot of work in the Middle East,” he said, before pointing to the figure who inevitably dominates any discussion about Al Nassr: Ronaldo.
“I’d like to meet [Cristiano] Ronaldo because I’m intrigued to understand what he might want to do when he stops playing and what his future involvement with the Saudi club will be. I will continue to assess multi-club possibilities, bearing in mind that I already have Toulouse and Milan.”
The line is telling. Cardinale is not simply chasing another badge for the portfolio; he is studying what Al Nassr might look like in the post-Ronaldo era and how the Portuguese star’s next steps could shape the club’s trajectory.
Ronaldo, still the face of the Saudi Pro League project, remains central to that equation. The Portugal captain continues to deliver on the pitch, as underlined by his goal for his country against Uzbekistan at the 2026 World Cup in Houston. Cardinale, though, is already looking beyond the final whistle of Ronaldo’s playing days, towards potential roles in ownership structures, ambassadorial work or strategic influence at Al Nassr.
Trust in Amorim, promise of January backing
While the Saudi opportunity simmers in the background, Cardinale moved to reassure Milan supporters about matters closer to home. In the same interview, he underlined his backing for coach Ruben Amorim and pledged further investment when the transfer window reopens in January.
The message is clear: whatever happens with Al Nassr, Milan remains the flagship. Amorim will not be left without reinforcements as the season tightens and the margins at the top of Serie A shrink.
Derby stage for an ambitious owner
Cardinale’s week in Italy will culminate under the floodlights at San Siro, where he is set to watch from the stands as Milan face Inter in the first derby della Madonnina of the campaign.
On the pitch, it is the familiar, ferocious city rivalry. Off it, an owner plotting a future that could stretch from San Siro to Riyadh, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s next chapter sitting somewhere in the middle.
