Cristiano Ronaldo made a successful begin to life within the Saudi Pro League as he led Al Nassr to a 1-0 victory over Ettifaq in his first match since changing into the most effective paid footballer in historical past.
The Portuguese celebrity didn’t rating however there have been promising indicators for Al Nassr, who’re eyeing home and continental silverware after the 37-year-old moved for offers totalling greater than 400 million euros.
However, Ronaldo’s league debut had an anticlimactic really feel in entrance of twenty-two,862 followers after he scored twice on this week’s energetic 5-4 exhibition defeat to Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain.
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“He’s the most effective gamers within the historical past of soccer, so it’s crucial for us to do all the things doable to place him in the most effective situation,” stated Al Nassr coach Rudi Garcia.
“I need him to take pleasure in enjoying and tonight he was pleased to play for the primary time together with his new group.”
Ronaldo, who was given the important thing duty of captain, made a low-key begin within the first half, twice dropping the ball with tried trickery as his team-mates struggled to get him on the ball.
Ronaldo’s early shot from the sting of the field was deflected over, and he practically met Abdulmajeed Al Sulaiheem’s cross that was headed in by Anderson Talisca for the sport’s solely aim on 31 minutes.
Shortly afterwards Ronaldo, met by shouts of “Siu!” each time he touched ball, blazed over with a free kick from an inviting place simply exterior the penalty space.
Al Nassr’s entrance three started to click on within the second half and Ronaldo arrange Pity Martinez and Talisca — after some trademark stepovers — for shut probabilities in fast succession.
A swing and a miss at a bicycle kick confirmed Ronaldo was warming to his activity, and he then tried a shot from an almost inconceivable angle after a dribble into the field.
But there was to be no aim for Ronaldo, watched by his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, in a win that saved Al Nassr on high of the Saudi Pro League.
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Ronaldo arrived in oil-rich Saudi Arabia in early January however his debut was delayed whereas he served a two-match ban for knocking a cell phone out of a fan’s hand whereas at Manchester United.
The transfer to Saudi is a step down for Ronaldo, an undisputable all-time nice who has regularly delivered on soccer’s greatest levels and amassed an astonishing haul of group and private honours.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is the all-time Champions League top-scorer, gathering 5 titles alongside the best way, and has gained seven home championships with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
Ronaldo additionally holds the file for worldwide objectives — 118 with Portugal, with whom he gained Euro 2016 — and profession objectives with 819. In Qatar final yr, he grew to become the primary man to attain at 5 World Cups.
His shock transfer to Al Nassr got here after his second stint at Manchester United collapsed in acrimony when he savaged the membership in a TV interview.
According to a supply near Al Nassr, he signed for greater than 200 million euros on high of a separate 200-million-euro deal to behave as an envoy for Saudi Arabia’s anticipated 2030 World Cup co-hosting bid.
It will additional swell the financial institution steadiness of Ronaldo, who grew to become the primary footballer to move $1 billion in profession earnings in 2020.
Part of his attraction is his huge social media presence, with practically 800 million followers throughout Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
However, his switch has been criticised by activist teams together with Amnesty International, which warned he was changing into a “software of Saudi’s sportswashing” of its “appalling human rights file”.
