A spokesman said Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese superstar, would be unveiled before thousands of fans at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr club on Tuesday after sealing a shock move estimated at more than 200 million euros.
Club spokesman Al-Walid Al-Muhaidib told AFP that the 37-year-old great, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, will arrive late on Monday with his family, media, and technical staff.
Officials announced that Ronaldo, who left Manchester United under scrutiny after criticising the club in a TV interview, will appear at Al Nassr’s 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park stadium in Riyadh at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) on Tuesday.
The latest, and possibly final, chapter in an illustrious career comes weeks after Portugal’s quarter-final exit from the World Cup in neighbouring Qatar, where his great rival Lionel Messi lifted the trophy with Argentina.
Ronaldo’s signing until June 2025 is just the latest foray into top-level sports by oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which has moved into Formula One, boxing, and golf and snapped up English club Newcastle United.
Critics have dubbed the strategy “sportswashing”—an” attempt by the conservative country to distract attention from its human rights record.
According to one official who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, Al Nassr expects a full stadium for the unveiling.
Ronaldo is by far the biggest star to play in Saudi Arabia. However, other heavyweights, including George Weah, Pep Guardiola and Xavi also had stints in the wealthy Gulf in the twilight of their careers.
Al Nassr, the nine-time Saudi league champion, has called Ronaldo’s signing “more than history in the making,” claiming he will inspire the rest of the league and even the country.
In a tweet, Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal pledged to “support the rest of our clubs for quality deals with international stars soon”.
United terminated Ronaldo’s contract during the World Cup after an explosive interview where he said he felt “betrayed” by the club and had no respect for coach Erik ten Hag.
The Portuguese forward has long been one of the top-paid players in football, earning a reported salary of 31 million euros at Juventus before taking a pay cut to rejoin United.
