Cristiano Ronaldo unveiled as Al-Nassr player; fans eager to experience 'Siuuu' in Saudi Arabia
Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo was on Tuesday unveiled as an Al-Nassr player at Mrsool Park, sparking massive excitement among fans of the Saudi Arabian club.
FollowLegendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo was on Tuesday unveiled as an Al-Nassr player in front of thousands gathered at Riyadh's Mrsool Park. The Portuguese talisman, who signed a contract last week which runs until 2025 for reportedly 200 million euros, received a thunderous roar as he walked onto Saudi Arabian soil to kickstart what is presumed to be the last chapter in his illustrious career.
Al-Nassr is currently on top of the Saudi Pro League and hopes Ronaldo's arrival will boost their chances of winning the title once again. The team will be in action on Thursday against Al Ta'ee and it remains to be seen if the 37-year-old superstar will make his debut.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has over the last two decades stamped his authority on European football, has been having a tough time with his form and also suffered a horrid campaign with Portugal during the Qatar World Cup 2022. After being a free agent for over a month following his contract termination at Manchester United, Ronaldo was rumoured to move to Saudi Arabia. Al-Hilal was the other club in the race to acquire the talisman's services. However, the iconic player settled to join Al-Nassr and is proud and happy to be part of this Asian football giant.
Ahead of his unveiling, Ronaldo spoke at length about why he joined Al-Nassr during his introductory press conference and also revealed that he had plenty of offers from other clubs worldwide, including from Europe, but decided to move to Saudi Arabia to continue his career. Several critics have questioned his decision to head to the Middle Eastern nation, but the 37-year-old legend hit back with a strong message.
"Many people speak and give their opinions but they really do not know nothing about football. As you know football now, probably the last 10-15 years it is different, all the teams are more prepared, more ready," Ronaldo told reporters. "So for me it's not the end of my career to come to [Saudi Arabia], that's what I want to change. So I really don't worry about what the people say."
Whether in Europe or Asia, Ronaldo enjoys a massive fan following worldwide, and CR7 followers quickly welcomed the G.O.A.T. to his new home Al-Nassr. "This is just unveiling, what will happen if they win the league," noted one fan on Twitter, while another added, "This is how you treat G.O.A.T. of the game."
A third fan stated, "Ronaldo has arrived," while a fourth noted, "It's “Siuuuuu” all over the place!!"
Here's a look at how Ronaldo fans reacted to his grand unveiling as an Al-Nassr player:
