Cristiano Ronaldo joins Al Nassr, the club said on Friday. Ronaldo left Manchester United to pursue other opportunities.
After giving a controversial television interview in which he claimed to feel betrayed by the team and that he did not respect their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, Ronaldo left Old Trafford last month.
In a statement, Al Nassr stated that the five-time Ballon Dor winner would sign a deal lasting through 2025 but omitted any information regarding the contract’s financial terms.
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 best version of themselves. Welcome @Cristiano to your new home @AlNassrFC pic.twitter.com/oan7nu8NWC
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) December 30, 2022
Cristiano Ronaldo Joins Al Nassr
The media has projected that Ronaldo’s contract is worth more than 200 million euros ($214.04 million).
Ronaldo stated in the statement, “I feel that this is the ideal time to share my experience in Asia. I am lucky to have achieved what I set out to do in European football.
“I am forward to work with my new teammates and help the Club succeed with their support,” he said. After a dazzling tenure at Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid from 2009 to 2018, where he won two La Liga titles, two Spanish Cups, four Champions League crowns, and three Club World Cups, Ronaldo will come in Saudi Arabia with a significant collection of club accolades.
He went on to score 451 goals for Real, a club record, and has more over 800 senior goals for club and country total.
In three years with Juventus, Ronaldo won two Serie A championships and a Copa Italia trophy before returning to United, where he had already won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup.
He represented Portugal in Qatar, where he scored a penalty against Ghana in their opening Group H match to become the first player to score in five World Cups.
Morocco eliminated Portugal from the tournament in the quarterfinals.
As he wants to retire at age 40, Ronaldo stated that Qatar would likely be his final World Cup. A move to Saudi Arabia is likely to be the final chapter in the career of one of the finest players in the game right now, along with Lionel Messi.
Musalli Almuammar, president of Al Nassr Football Club, declared that “this is more than history in the making.” “This is a signing that will motivate not just our team to even greater success, but also our league, our country, and future generations,” the club said.
The Saudi Arabian team, which has won nine Saudi Pro Premier League championships, is counting on Ronaldo to help them win both the first AFC Asian Champions League and another local league championship.
The Portuguese forward, though, will miss his opening two domestic matches after receiving a suspension for snatching a phone from a supporter’s hand following United’s loss at Everton in April.
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