A prominent Madrid-based journalist has publicly called on Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the Santiago Bernabeu for a one-off appearance in a revived Santiago Bernabeu Trophy against Al Nassr.
Tomas Roncero, a well-known Real Madrid supporter and columnist for Spanish newspaper AS, urged Perez to organise a pre-season friendly with the Saudi Pro League club so that Ronaldo can feature at Real Madrid’s stadium eight years after leaving the club.
In a video published by AS, Roncero asked Perez to arrange for Real Madrid to face Al Nassr before the start of the new campaign, with the match to serve as the 40th edition of the Santiago Bernabeu Trophy. The competition has not taken place since 2018.
Ronaldo, captain of Al Nassr, departed Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 to join Juventus after a glittering spell in the Spanish capital. He spent three seasons in Turin before returning to Manchester United for a season and a half, and then moved to Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in the winter of 2023.
Roncero’s comments have been interpreted as an attempt to reopen the door for both the return of the traditional Bernabeu curtain-raiser and a symbolic homecoming for Ronaldo, whose last appearance for Real Madrid at the stadium came in 2018.
The journalist’s proposal also comes at a time when Ronaldo’s future is likely to be a talking point. Next season is set to be the final year of the Portuguese forward’s contract with Al Nassr, a timeline which naturally raises questions over when and how he might choose to end his playing career.
The Santiago Bernabeu Trophy, introduced in 1979, was historically held by Real Madrid as an annual pre-season invitational competition at their home ground. It ran for 39 editions, with the most recent staging in 2018 – the same year Ronaldo left the club – before being put on hold.
Roncero’s suggestion would see the 40th edition of the trophy used as a showcase for Ronaldo’s return to the Bernabeu, albeit as an Al Nassr player rather than in Real Madrid colours.
Ronaldo remains the all-time leading scorer in Real Madrid’s history, with 450 goals scored across nine seasons between 2009 and 2018. During that period he established himself as one of the most decisive players the club has ever had, becoming a central figure in multiple domestic and European successes.
While Roncero’s appeal does not amount to any formal move by Real Madrid or Al Nassr, it reflects the ongoing affection for Ronaldo among sections of the club’s fanbase and the enduring curiosity about a potential farewell appearance at the stadium where he produced many of the defining moments of his career.
