Cristiano Ronaldo could return to Manchester United in the future as a coach or manager, according to his former team-mate Louis Saha.
The Portuguese star's name will forever be synonymous with the club thanks to his first spell at Old Trafford. His second stint didn't quite go to plan, with Ronaldo eventually leaving by mutual consent after a notorious interview with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo, who is still playing out in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, turns 40 in 2025. He hasn't confirmed either way what his future holds, both at club level or internationally ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
Despite his infamous 'coaching' on the sidelines during his nation's Euro 2016 final triumph, the superstar hasn't gone public with any stance on a future managerial career, either. But that hasn't deterred Saha from believing he'd be great in the dugout, potentially at Old Trafford.
"Cristiano Ronaldo has the passion and dedication to return to Manchester United one day," Saha told TVSporten. "That could be as a coach or even a manager.
"His second spell didn’t end how everyone had hoped, and you can see why that frustrated him. He didn’t see the same formula and didn’t see the passion from young players that he had been used to seeing."
Ronaldo's second spell at United was turbulent, to say the least. He played under three different managers and criticised the club and its hierarchy before being released in November 2022.
It was the icon's interview with Piers Morgan that all but ended his second stint at the club, with his disapproval of Ten Hag and the club's younger players proving to be the final nail in the coffin.
Ronaldo still scored 27 goals in 54 games during that spell, however, and will always be remembered fondly by United fans overall. He has since been enjoying his time in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, having scored 35 goals in his first full season at the club.
He will reportedly stay put this season, but his future beyond that remains a mystery. The forward's old United team-mate Saha has tipped Ronaldo to head into coaching, but only if he improves a few of his personable skills.
"Now he will know that he needs to find a new way to communicate when he becomes a coach," added Saha. "Which maybe isn’t as harsh or direct as it was when he was at the club.
"He will work out how to be successful and use all his knowledge to do that; we’ve seen Roy Keane go into management and have success. Cristiano will understand what he needs to do as a manager. I see no reason why he wouldn’t be a success."
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