Clubless Ronaldo trains at Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo, without a team and nursing the wounds of Portugal’s shock World Cup exit, has been training at Real Madrid while staying in the Spanish capital, the club said on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old Ronaldo, who is a free agent after leaving Manchester United, spent nine years at Real where he still enjoys a close relationship with club president Florentino Perez.

The Portuguese forward was accompanied by his eldest son and the pair worked out alone at the Valdebebas training ground.

Ronaldo was last in competitive action on Saturday as a substitute in Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to Morocco in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

WHERE IT ALL STARTED

It will be recall that during a tell-all interview with Piers Morgan, where Ronaldo heavily criticised United and Erik ten Hag, was the final straw following months of building tension.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner refused to come off the bench and headed down the tunnel prematurely in arguably United’s most convincing victory of the season so far against Tottenham, and was fined and dropped from the first team as a result.

The incident wasn’t the first time Ronaldo had caused a stir under Ten Hag. Before the bombshell interview and walkout against Tottenham, then it was reported to have left Old Trafford early again in a pre-season clash with Rayo Vallecano.

Many believe that he will sign for Al-Nassr following Portugal’s World Cup elimination at the quarter-final stage, but he looks set to return to Madrid on a limited basis while his future is decided.