The gloomiest day in Portugal’s football history on December 10, 2022, will always be remembered. This was during the quarterfinal matchup between Morocco and Portugal, the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The camera zoomed in on Cristiano Ronaldo as he walked slowly toward the tunnel to go to the locker room after the match. However, he was unable to conceal his disappointment as a camera in the tunnel captured the once-proud player crying before sprinting past it and disappearing into the Portuguese changing room.
Ronaldo appeared to be approaching the end of an illustrious career, without a club and with no guarantee of playing for the national team. Al Nassr appears. Another country in the middle east stepped up to save his career after one Middle Eastern nation denied him his aspirations of becoming world champion.
Al Nassr offered Ronaldo a deal worth $200 million per year to help him navigate the waves of rejection following the termination of his contract with Manchester United. He would be the highest-paid football player in the world as a result of this. A glimmer of hope emerged from the abyss of despair.
Soudi arabia entering in fifa
The Middle Eastern nations are slowly but surely emerging as the next global footballing powerhouses, as this move by the Saudi-based club demonstrated. This move by Ronaldo was a masterstroke in light of the recent success of the World Cup in Qatar. Al Nassr gained not only one of the world’s best players but also the brand value of Ronaldo by signing him.
As the hordes of Ronaldo fans ensured that the signing had the necessary impact, even those who were unaware of Al Nassr’s existence stood up and paid attention. The club’s Instagram page gained over 5.3 million new followers shortly after the 37-year-old’s signing was made official, demonstrating the impact Ronaldo has had on the club’s image.
Saudi Arabia, which is frequently criticized for its strict rules and treatment of women, has been doing everything in its power to “whitewash” or “sportswash” its image in order to become a major player in the world of sports. A significant step in that direction can be taken by signing a player of Ronaldo’s caliber. Furthermore, you can bet that this is not the end. Al Hilal and Al Itihad, Al Nassr’s fierce rivals, are said to be willing to pay 350 million euros per season to bring Lionel Messi to Saudi Arabia, according to recent reports.
They have also requested assistance from the government in order to make the offer. It is important to note that Messi already has a pretty lucrative promotional agreement with Saudi Arabia. Last year, he signed a contract making him one of the ambassadors for the kingdom’s tourism board. These actions were not random; rather, they were carefully planned moves with an eye toward the endgame.