Tue 03 January 2023:
Cristiano Ronaldo, a footballing superstar from Portugal, has arrived in Riyadh ahead of his formal debut in front of tens of thousands of supporters at the Al Nassr club in Saudi Arabia.
The 37-year-old arrived in the Saudi capital late on Monday after concluding a contract worth an estimated 213 million euros, according to Al Ekhbariya state-run TV. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is accompanied by a large entourage and is staying at a five-star hotel in the city.
At 7 p.m. local time (16:00 GMT) on Tuesday, Ronaldo, who left Manchester United under fire after criticizing the team in a TV interview, will appear at Al Nassr’s 25,000-seat Mrsool Park stadium in Riyadh, according to officials.
Al Nassr is expecting a packed stadium for the unveiling, according to one official who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to media.
The star has spoken 🤩#AlNassr fans.. how excited are you? 🔥
See you tomorrow 🙏#HalaRonaldo 💛
pic.twitter.com/WQPDZGUd0V— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) January 2, 2023
Ronaldo’s unveiling by Al Nassr on Tuesday is expected to kick off a new era for the country’s footballing profile internationally.
Other big names at the club include Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina, formerly of Arsenal and Napoli, and 2018 South American player of the year Pity Martinez. Brazilian Anderson Talisca leads the goal-scoring chart.
Despite such talent, the Saudi league does not have a wide audience internationally; that may change thanks to Ronaldo.
“The whole world knows Ronaldo very well and his achievements as a player speak for themselves,” former Saudi Arabia international Hamad al-Montashari said.
“He is an exceptional player and could score a hat trick in every game.”
Al Nassr’s coach, Rudi Garcia, also welcomed Ronaldo’s arrival.
“The signing of a player the size of Cristiano Ronaldo is extraordinary, and contributes to the development of Saudi football,” said the Frenchman, who has coached Lyon and Roma.
“We are happy with his arrival. The first goal is to work so he can adapt to our team, to enjoy playing for Al Nassr, and to entertain the fans.”
Ronaldo has won five Champions League championships in addition to league championships with Juventus in Italy, Real Madrid in Spain, and Manchester United in England. In addition, he leads the Champions League and the Portuguese national team, where he won the 2016 Euro, in goals. With his penalty in the group-stage victory over Ghana at the most recent World Cup 2022 in Qatar, he made history by becoming the first player to score at five World Cups.
He receives one of the highest salaries. Prior to taking a pay reduction to re-join Manchester United, the Portuguese forward earned a reputed salary of 31 million euros ($33 million) at Juventus.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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