Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Saudi Arabia has obviously sparked all kinds of coverage and reaction, with the Portuguese bringing a media storm to town.
After leaving Manchester United and being dropped by Fernando Santos for Portugal, Cristiano has found himself at Al Nassr in Riyadh. In the meantime, his reported salary would make him the highest paid player in the world. Other information leaking out has said agent Jorge Mendes dropped him as a client following the Manchester United debacle and the move has even seen him tiptoeing along the wrong side of Saudi law with partner Georgina Rodriguez.
Practice makes perfect 💪 pic.twitter.com/Y31c8mz1bN
— AlNassr FC (@AlNassrFC_EN) January 11, 2023
However the latest claim has been denied by his club in an official statement. Sport say that Al Nassr have rejected claims that their deal with Ronaldo ties him into an ambassadorial role for Saudi Arabia, as they seek to host the 2030 World Cup.
“Al Nassr FC would like to clarify that, contrary to published news, Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr does not imply commitments to any World Cup bid. His main objective is Al Nassr and working with his teammates to help the club to achieve success,” said a statement.
Currently there are three principal World Cup bids for 2030 in the works. Spain have partnered with Portugal and Ukraine; a combination of Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay are togther; Saudi Arabia will bid with Greece and Egypt. With Lionel Messi an ambassador board, if Ronaldo does support the bid in an official capacity, there could be a remarkable situation where both of the most iconic active players from two bids team up to promote the other.
Wow that’s good to see cristiano ronaldo playing in saudi arabia professional league