Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr FC, according to the club.
The 37-year-old joins on a two-and-a-half-year deal after leaving Manchester United last month.
It followed an explosive television interview in which the forward said he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.
A statement on the Al-Nassr’s Instagram says: “This is more than history in the making.
“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves.”
Ronaldo is set to undergo a medical at Mrsool Park, the modern home to Al-Nassr, before completing formalities and being revealed to fans in the club’s yellow and blue colours in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh in the coming days.
“I am eager to experience a new football league in a different country. Al-Nassr Club’s vision is very inspiring,” the Saudi club quoted Ronaldo as saying.
While Ronaldo’s dreams of playing Champions League football appear to have come to an end, the forward will be well remunerated and will able to wield a significant amount of power at his new club. Ronaldo is set to earn at least a whopping $75m per year at Al-Nassr, while also moving into an ambassador role after his playing career ends in 2024.
When Ronaldo first joined Manchester United in 2003, he transformed himself from a tricky, skilful winger into one of the best players in the world.
He won three Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League, and the first of his five Ballon d’Or crowns before moving to Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo’s return to United from Juventus last year was greeted with much fanfare by the club’s supporters, but his second period at Old Trafford failed to match the success of his first as United ended last season without any trophies.
Despite a disappointing 2022 Qatar World Cup with Portugal, Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups.
The World Cup in Qatar saw Ronaldo score in Portugal’s opening group game against Ghana, his 118th goal for his country, before being dropped from the starting XI for the knockout rounds, in which the team made a quarter-final exit with a 1-0 loss to Morocco.
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