Some of Cristiano Ronaldo’s American admirers were let down by his relocation to the Arabian Peninsula; they may have thought the Portuguese player would go there instead.
This occurs as the striker, who burned every bridge leaving Manchester United in November, officially signed a $212 million annual contract with Al-Nassr, a Saudi Arabian team.
If Ronaldo were to choose not to come to the United States for any other reason, the contract would be worth approximately 54% of CF Montreal, the least valuable MLS franchise. Additionally, it would surpass the previous record trade of $16 million set by Thiago Almada of Atlanta United.
Following his controversial and incriminating interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo, 37, was a free agent and left United.
Ronaldo’s contract is reportedly for seven years; the great Portuguese player will play before accepting an ambassadorial position, and his salary will rise gradually.
Supporters immediately questioned Ronaldo’s decision to relocate to the Middle East as opposed to looking for a Major League Soccer team in the USA or Europe.
“@Cristiano is essentially retired!” How incredibly foolish! At the very least, he ought to have attended MLS!, a frustrated Twitter user remarked.
“He still had a great deal to give Europe.” It’s unbelievable that he left to go to Saudi Arabia. It doesn’t make sense when he had the opportunity to score goals and gain more recognition in Europe. “Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia would be a huge downgrade yoh!” Another user said, “This man can still play in Italy or at least [sic] USA.”
One commenter made the joke, “Ronaldo was too scared to face Walker Zimmerman in the [sic] MLS.”
“This is evidence that there isn’t enough money, even if you believed that.” Instead of playing in the Major League Soccer and developing his brand to even greater heights, Cristiano Ronaldo opted for quick money! Amazing!
‘After attempts to go to a Champions League club went through, this practically spells the end of Cristiano Ronaldo’s career of playing top-flight football,’ tweeted another user, pleading with his beloved team to try to bring him here.
It has been reported that he will assist Saudi Arabia’s joint effort with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup as part of his job as an ambassador.
He joins fierce rival Lionel Messi in accepting a promotional role with the Gulf state, which has come under fire for its record on human rights as well as for cracking down on campaigners for women’s rights, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others who criticize Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reign.
Nine times, Al-Nassr has won the Saudi Premier League, making them one of the most successful clubs in the kingdom. Their most recent victory occurred in 2019.