If the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar proved one thing, it’s that nothing is impossible in football, and the latest news making headlines should be enough to convince you for good. A couple of weeks ago, we had reported that Cristiano Ronaldo was close to inking a deal with Al Nasr, a Saudi Arabian football club that currently sits at the second position of the Gulf State’s first division league. Back then, Spanish sports newspaper MARCA claimed that the quintuple Ballon d’Or winner was on the brink of signing a dizzying $250 million deal to become the club’s newest striker for the next two seasons.
Today, local media outlets have confirmed that Manchester United and Real Madrid’s iconic number seven will indeed be taking on this new challenge, which brings him to our region although the exact details of the transaction between both parties are yet to have been disclosed.
🚨 OFFICIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Al-Nassr on a two-year contract.
Signed. Sealed. Delivered. 🇸🇦✍️ pic.twitter.com/9SAYMhaOHM
— Barstool Football (@StoolFootball) December 30, 2022
After memorable stints in the Italian Serie A, the English Premier League, and the Spanish Liga BBVA, this will be the first time that Ronaldo will leave football’s top flight to open a new chapter, and possibly the last of his career, in our region.
After having the FIFA World Cup organised for the first time in the Arab World, this recent move only shows how keen and involved officials are in turning the Middle East into a hub for soccer while improving the standing of Arab football internationally.
After already missing out on Champion’s League football this year as his boyhood club failed to qualify for the competition, this will probably mark the end of Ronaldo’s time in one of the game’s most prestigious tournaments, leaving a legacy full of records as one of its most successful players.
