The World Football Federation (FIFA) is said to have created conditions for Cristiano Ronaldo to play in Saudi Arabia in the Al Nassr shirt.
Before CR7 landed at Al Nassr, this team was sanctioned by FIFA for past debts. In April 2021, the Arriydiyah newspaper revealed that this team with headquarters in the capital Riyadh owed $ 50 million before being taken over by Musalli Al-Muammar, the former president of the Saudi Arabian league.
Al Nassr was sanctioned for being late in paying salaries to players, team staff and many transfers in the past. In addition, this 9-time Saudi Pro League championship team also fell into overdue payment of contracts with partners.
Romain Molina, a French sports journalist with close ties to the UAE and the PSG club, asked a question mark: “Al Nassr could not register new players until today due to sanctions from FIFA. But like Maybe by a miracle, they suddenly paid off all the debts and thanks to that Ronaldo could be registered in the squad.”
This French sports journalist commented that “FIFA seems to have turned a blind eye and created conditions for Ronaldo to come and play in Saudi Arabia”.
On the other hand, an official of Al Nassr revealed that the reason why Ronaldo has not been registered to play in the 2022/23 season is because the team already has enough foreign players according to the regulations of the tournament organizers. This 37-year-old superstar is the 9th foreign player to play for Al Nassr in the 2022/23 season, while the Saudi Pro League organizers stipulate that each team can only have a maximum of 8 foreign players.
Al Nassr will have to hasten the liquidation of the contract of the Uzbekistan international, Jaloliddin Masharipov, to fill in Ronaldo’s name. But currently, CR7 cannot play for Al Nassr when he has to serve a 2-match suspension that he received from the British Football Federation while playing for MU.
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr with a 2.5-year contract, the income can be up to 200 million euros per year including salary, bonuses, sponsorship contracts and image promotion for Al Nassr.
“The agreement with Ronaldo is not limited to football,” said Al-Muammar chairman. “He will support the club’s Academy that we plan to build, and at the same time add to the history and reputation of the club.”
The moment Ronaldo debuted at Al Nassr on the night of January 3, the Portuguese superstar officially introduced the fans of the new team at Mrsool Park home in the capital Riyadh of Saudi Arabia.
