According to club sources who spoke with AFP on Thursday. Superstar Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait to make his Al Nassr debut because the Saudi club has exceeded its limit for foreign players. According to club sources who spoke with AFP on Thursday.
Superstar Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo will have to wait to make his Al Nassr debut because the Saudi club has exceeded its limit for foreign players. The 37-year-old said he wanted to play as soon as possible, starting with Thursday’s home game. Against Al Ta’ee, when he was announced on Tuesday to great fanfare.
However, Ronaldo is Al Nassr’s ninth foreign player, one more than the eight allowed by Saudi football authorities. His contract with Al Nassr runs through June 2025 and is estimated to be worth 200 million euros. One club official, who did not wish to be identified because he was not authorized to speak with the media, told AFP,
David Ospina, a goalkeeper from Colombia, and Luiz Gustavo. A midfielder from Brazil, and forwards Anderson Talisca, a player from Brazil. Vincent Aboubakar, a player from Cameroon, make up Al Nassr’s foreign contingent. According to reports from Saudi Arabia.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Champions League record scorer would most likely be replaced by Uzbek midfielder Jaloliddin Masharipov. As of Thursday afternoon local time, a second club source confirmed that Ronaldo was not registered. After Manchester United, his team at the time lost to Everton in November.
Both officials refused to confirm whether Ronaldo still needed to serve a two-match English Football Association ban for striking a cell phone out of a little fan’s hand. Al Nassr received inquiries regarding the match suspension from the Saudi Football Association.
Mrsool Park, Al Nassr’s 25,000-capacity stadium, is sold out for Thursday’s game. Just like it was on Tuesday when Ronaldo was greeted by thunderous applause and fireworks. The forward from Portugal said at the time that he was coming to Saudi Arabia to find a new challenge and that he had received offers from all over the world.
Amnesty International called his action part of a “wider pattern of sports washing,” or using sports to evade criticism. Urged him to speak out about human rights issues in the extremely conservative monarchy.