Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo sent shock waves across the sporting world last month by announcing he would be leaving European soccer after his stint at the renowned Manchester United club for the little-known Al-Nassr team in Saudi Arabia.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with Saudi children, his son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., center, and partner, Georgina Rodriguez, at an airport in Riyadh on Monday. (Al-Nassr Football Club/AFP/Getty Images)
Images later showed him and his family arriving at a Riyadh airport and being greeted with flowers from fans.
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In November, the Saudi national team notched a historic upset victory in group play over eventual World Cup winner Argentina in neighboring Qatar. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund owns the English Premier League team Newcastle United, as foreign nations continue to pour money into European clubs. Human rights advocates have criticized what they deem “sportswashing” by the oil-rich state, and the United Nations has long urged the country to improve its human rights record.
The Portuguese forward said in a statement that he was “excited to experience a new football league in a different country.” He added: “I am fortunate that I have won everything I set out to win in European football and feel now that this is the right moment to share my experience in Asia.”
Now 37 and nearing the end of his career, Ronaldo will play for the Saudi club until 2025, Al-Nassr said. It did not disclose financial details, but media reports said his contract would pay about $75 million a year, making him one of the highest-paid soccer players in history.
The world’s top soccer players often spend their twilight years in the game outside Europe, usually opting for the United States or China. The Saudi club is coached by Rudi Garcia of France, and Ronaldo will join other notable players from Brazil, Colombia and Cameroon on the team.
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During his storied career, Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or award five times as the men’s soccer player of the year, and, in Qatar, he cemented his legacy by becoming the first man to score in five World Cup tournaments.
He has played in Europe’s top leagues, for Spain’s Real Madrid and Italy’s Juventus, as well as two stints at Manchester United. However, the mercurial player left the northern England club acrimoniously in November, becoming a free agent, shortly after blasting its American owners and its manager in an interview with the British journalist Piers Morgan.
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