- Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January after tumultuous exit from Manchester United
- He scores goals just for fun, but you’ve seen Lionel Messi win the Ballon d’Or
- Is Erik ten Hag out of his depth at Manchester United?Listen to how it all began here
It’s been ten months since Cristiano Ronaldo left European football and became the first of many superstars to switch to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr Stadium.
Many believed the move was essentially the end of his days at football’s elite level. No top clubs are interested in taking him away from United – a damning indictment of his fading powers.
It was thought he had no choice but to end his Champions League career and accept millions from Saudi Arabia – earning a staggering £175m a year.
The standard of football in the Saudi Professional League continues to improve with the addition of a string of elite stars, but remains mediocre at best for a player who is unanimously regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.
During his second spell with United he began to show higher levels of frustration, which he continues to show on and off the pitch in Saudi Arabia, particularly after Lionel’s defeat earlier this week Messi won the Ballon d’Or for the third time after winning it for the eighth time. ahead of his long-time rival.
But whenever he’s asked what life is like in Saudi Arabia, he always responds positively. When you look at the many luxuries and privileges he received in the Middle East, you can see why. He’s also back to scoring form, and his star off the court is as bright as ever.
The switch to the Gulf state would have been a huge adjustment not only for Ronaldo, but also for his partner Georgina Rodriguez and his five children.
The 37-year-old met Rodriguez while playing for Real Madrid and they have two children – Bella and Alana. Ronaldo has three other children – Cristiano Jr. and twins Eva and Mateo.
Given Ronaldo’s status in football, he has been treated like a king since moving to Saudi Arabia.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner lives in an exclusive gated community with round-the-clock security and has received gifts including a bespoke watch worth £630,000.
Meanwhile, his long-term partner Rodriguez is popular in Saudi society.
The social media coverage of her debut at the Joy Awards is said to be far greater than that of famous actress Sofia Vergara, who was named Person of the Year. Tatler reports that Rodriguez has amassed a huge fan base in Saudi Arabia, with some describing her as an “icon” even before she arrived.
Ronaldo has also immersed himself in Saudi culture by visiting various bars and events, including Dariyah Nights with Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal – A shopping, arts and music festival. He also watched the Tommy Fury-Jake Paul boxing match and the recent Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou crossover.
Rapper Eminem, Kanye West and former UFC champion Conor McGregor were all familiar faces in Fury’s matchup against Ngannou, but it was Ronaldo who, along with partner Georgina Rodriguez, was the biggest draw of the night. The star that attracted attention – although he was obviously booed.
Rio Ferdinand, who was also in attendance in Riyadh, spoke of former team-mate Ronaldo’s immense global influence and star power, with the Euro 2016 winner constantly appearing on the big screen throughout the evening.
“He (Ronaldo) walked into the building with the greatest sports legend of all time, he was the biggest superstar in that building,” the former Manchester United defender said on his FIVE YouTube show.
At the same time, Spain’s “Sports” reported that Ronaldo and Rodriguez were living together unmarried, violating Saudi law.
Like many other Muslim countries, Saudi law prohibits men and women from living together unless they are “mahram,” an Arabic term for close family members or spouses.
Given that they are not officially married, Ronaldo and Rodriguez appear to be breaking this law while living together in their Kingdom suite.
“Sport” quoted two Saudi lawyers as saying that legal professionals expected the relevant authorities not to intervene in Ronaldo’s situation.
One netizen said: “Although the law still prohibits undocumented cohabitation, the authorities have begun to turn a blind eye and no longer persecute anyone.” Of course, these laws are used when problems arise or crimes are committed.
Another added: “Today, Saudi Arabian authorities do not interfere in the matter (for foreigners), but the law still prohibits cohabitation outside marriage.”
While he is treated like a king in Saudi Arabia, his long-time rival Lionel Messi has been cementing his status as arguably the king of football.
Lionel Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or will hurt Ronaldo. The Al Nasr star undoubtedly believes he has become a better player over the course of his career. had a better career than the Argentinian, but the former barcelona The ace has now won three more Ballon d’Ors than the Portuguese ace, as well as a World Cup trophy.
Opposition fans jeered Ronaldo, chanting “Messi” at him during a King Al-Nasr Cup match against Etifaq earlier this week – just two days before the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
In return, Ronaldo silenced the Al-Ettifaq crowd and his Al-Nassr side had the last laugh, with Sadio Mane scoring the only goal to beat their opponents 1-0 heading into the fourth quarter. One final.
He celebrated extravagantly and pricked up his ears to the away fans after his teammates scored the winner in stoppage time.
Although he showed frustration during and after the game, he was lucky not to be sent off. After his teammate Talisca’s first-half goal was ruled offside, he suggested the referee should substitute him.
He was subsequently booked for dissent, and despite gesticulating angrily throughout the game and sharing harsh words with Jordan Henderson, he somehow avoided a second yellow card .
This is not the first time Ronaldo has lost his temper since moving to Saudi Arabia. In August, he screamed at the referee, pushed away a fan who was taking a selfie and stormed off the pitch in anger after an Asian Champions League win over United Arab Emirates Youth.
The slogan of aiming for the goal against Al-Ettifaq is some household truth for CR7. Ronaldo reacted to video of a Spanish journalist mocking Messi after his win.
Spanish journalist Tomás Rossello posted a video in which he said: “Hi everyone. What we know is what happened, they will award Messi another Ballon d’Or again.
“He retired in Miami, even though he looked like he was retiring in Paris Saint-Germain and preparing for the World Cup. He won the World Cup, yes, well, but with six penalties… The World Cup was ten months ago, It’s November now.
“Messi has eight Ballon d’Ors, he should have had five. He has Iniesta/Xavi’s Ballon d’Or, Lewandowski’s six trophies in a single season and Haaland’s Best shooter.
Ronaldo added four laughing emojis in the comments below the video on Instagram, but it’s unclear exactly what the former Manchester United star meant.
Reports suggest that in his first months in Saudi Arabia, he was already unhappy in the country and was seeking success as he struggled to adapt to the culture, with the language barrier becoming an obstacle.
In April, head coach Rudi Garcia resigned following a dispute with Ronaldo and other players over tactics.
There was also some controversy after he was caught on video grabbing his crotch – an apparent reaction to more “Messi” chants – although Al-Nasser said it was a reaction to a groin injury.
Ronaldo has noticed some differences in Saudi Arabia, previously telling reporters: “The biggest change I noticed in Saudi Arabia is obviously the hot weather and adjusting the training plan when the weather is cooler.
“But I’m really used to it now. The fans here have been great to me and they welcome me and those who follow me to continue this amazing journey.”
He also talked about the league’s need to improve, telling CNN: “We have very good teams, very good Arab players, but the infrastructure – they need to improve a little bit more.” Even the referees, the VAR system, and It should be faster.
“But I’m happy here, I want to stay here and I will continue to be here.”
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo will be delighted given his privileged stay in Saudi Arabia, with a contract worth £175m a year taking him above Messi, LeBron James and Stephen Curry to become the world’s highest-paid athlete.
He also returned to goal-scoring form during a spell in Saudi Arabia, where he was relegated to the bench after a setback at United under Erik ten Hag.
After scoring 14 goals in 16 games in the Saudi Professional League last season, he has now scored 14 goals in 15 games in all competitions this season and given that this is his first at the club For a full season, he’ll probably finish with a staggering number of goals.
He is the top scorer in the Saudi Professional League, with more goals than Erling Haaland (13) – even though the Manchester City striker plays in a league often considered the toughest in world football.
The standard of football in the professional leagues is mediocre at best, a significant step down for a player who scored a staggering 450 goals in 438 appearances for European giants Real Madrid. However, world-class competition on the pitch was not a selling point for a move to Saudi Arabia.