Riyadh: The presentation ceremony of Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo as a player for the Saudi club “Al-Nassr” kicked off on Tuesday evening at the club’s stadium, “Mrsool Park” in the Kingdom’s capital, Riyadh.
Ronaldo, who was wearing the club’s yellow and blue uniform, entered the stadium, with a capacity of 25,000 spectators, amid thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.
The ceremony started with a set of songs presented by the young singer Ayed Al-Qarni.
Ronaldo said, in a press conference held on the sidelines of the ceremony, “Football around the world has developed a lot, and the Saudi national team’s victory over Argentina confirms that, and I am very excited about this new experience.”
Ronaldo reveals the reasons for his move to Al-Nassr Club
He said, “I feel proud and happy with my decision to join Al-Nassr, my period in Europe is over, I won everything, and I played for the best clubs in the world.”
The Portuguese added, “I am living a new experience, and this is another opportunity to change the mentality of a new generation. I confirm that I had many offers in Europe, Brazil and Australia, and also from Portugal, but I agreed to Al-Nassr club.”
Ronaldo explained, “I chose Al-Nassr because of my great desire to contribute to the development of football in Saudi Arabia, to help the ambitious youth in this country, as well as to learn a new culture.”
The Portuguese star continued, “I am happy to be in the Saudi League, which has developed a lot and has become more competitive.”
He added that he hoped to start playing matches this week.
After the press conference, Cristiano Ronaldo headed to the changing room to meet his new team-mates and change their date before taking to the pitch.
He arrived on the pitch in a crisp gray suit and answered questions before changing into his signature yellow and blue victory kit.
Al-Nassr club announced his contract with Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday, December 30, 2022, in a contract that extends until the summer of 2025.
Late on Monday, January 2, Portuguese star Ronaldo arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in preparation for the start of his football career at Al-Nassr club, which competes in the Saudi Professional Football League.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, said Monday’s welcome was “incredible” and that “the Saudi people are beautiful”.
37-year-old Ronaldo left Manchester United in the middle of the current season, after a dispute with the management of the English club, before he decided to move to Al-Nassr in a free deal with a contract that extends until 2025, but he will receive a huge salary during his contract period.
Al-Nassr club has seen near ten-fold increase in Instagram followers after Ronaldo signed the contract on December 30.
Before joining the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star, the Saudi club had about 850,000 followers. At the time of writing, that number has risen to 7.9 million and is growing by the hour.
Ronaldo himself is the most followed person on the social media platform, with over 528 million followers, many of whom are now also following Al Nassr.
