Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, accompanied by his family, arrived in Riyadh on Monday night to join Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia.
He was received by the President of the club’s Board of Directors Mesli Al-Muammar, his deputy Abdullah Al-Omrani, and CEO Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, besides a group of children, affiliated to the club’s fans.
Wearing Al-Nassr uniform for the first time, Ronaldo is scheduled to grace a celebration party with thousands of supporters of the club at its stadium on Tuesday evening, before taking part in an open training session with selected players.
Ronaldo has signed a $214m per year contract with Al-Nassr that will run until June 2025.
After putting pen to paper on the Al Nassr deal, Ronaldo will be the highest-paid ever professional footballer and his contract includes off-field promotional activity as well as playing arrangements.
Al Nassr is the Saudi Pro League’s current leaders and is managed by French coach Rudi Garcia.
The football icon left Man Utd in November, releasing a statement saying: “Following talks with Manchester United, we’ve mutually agreed to end our contract. I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. It feels like the right time to seek a new challenge. I wish Man Utd all the best”.
Manchester United, in turn, issued a statement saying: “The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford”.
They wished “him and his family well for the future” and added “everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch”.
Follow us on
