Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo sent shockwaves around the world when he announced that he will be joining Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Ronaldo, regarded by many as one of the greatest footballers ever, has won major honours in England, Spain, and Italy as well as with the Portuguese national team. Now in the twilight of his career, Ronaldo is embarking on a new journey in Saudi Arabia.
The news was confirmed by Al Nassr, who took to social media to announce Ronaldo as their latest signing. The club posted a picture of Ronaldo holding up the team’s jersey, accompanied by the caption, “History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys, and girls to be the version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC.”
The Portuguese star responded by saying, “I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia. I am looking forward to joining my new teammates and together with them help the Club to achieve success.”
According to the club, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will sign on until 2025. The club did not release any information regarding the financial details of the deal; however, it is estimated that Ronaldo will earn close to 200 million euros during this time.
Ronaldo left Manchester United last month after an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, where the Portuguese star spoke about the lack of a relationship with Manchester United boss Erik Ten Haag. He joins Saudi Arabian football after having won numerous honours in Europe, which include two La Liga titles, two Spanish cups, four Champions Leagues titles and three Club World Cups at Real Madrid, with further European and domestic titles with Manchester United and Italy’s Juventus. During his time in Spain, Ronaldo scored 451 times and has more than 800 senior goals for club and country in total. Ronaldo won two Serie A titles, as well as a Copa Italia during his time at Juventus, before re-joining Manchester United where he initially earned his reputation. During his first spell at Old Trafford, Ronaldo won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, The Champions League, and the Club World Cup.
His arrival at Al Nassr will bode well for the Saudi league. Even though he may be coming to the end of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo has millions of followers worldwide, and his fame and reputation will certainly put the Saudi club and league on the map.
We recently wrote about how photographer Joseph Ouchen has taken a series of empowering images of female Moroccan footballers.
