Five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed joy after scoring four goals to help his side Al-Nassr defeat Al-Wehda in the Saudi Pro League.
The Portuguese reached 500th career league goal after notching his fourth goal against Al-Wehda
The Portugal captain received the ball inside the penalty area, took a couple of touches before firing a left-footed shot past the opponent goalkeeper.
Ronaldo then added another before half-time as he also scored two goals in the second half.
Reacting, Ronaldo, in a tweet via his Twitter handle, said he felt great.
Ronaldo tweeted: “Great feeling to have scored 4 goals and reached my 500th league goal in a very solid win by the team!”
Ronaldo’s 503 league goals have come across five clubs – 311 for Real Madrid, 103 across two spells with Manchester United, 81 for Juventus, three for Sporting and now four with Al-Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times to move past the 500 career league goal mark as Al Nassr beat Al Wehda 4-0 in the Saudi Pro League.
The Portugal forward, who turned 38 on Sunday, struck in a 40-minute period either side of the break.
He has now scored 503 league goals for five different clubs in five different leagues.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner joined Al Nassr in December, reportedly on a salary of £177m per year.
However, he did not enjoy the most prolific of starts with his new employers, managing one goal from the penalty spot in his first three competitive appearances for the club.
Ronaldo left Manchester United in November, having scored 103 league goals across two spells at the club.
He scored 311 times in La Liga for Real Madrid, registered 81 goals in Serie A for Juventus and managed three in the Portuguese top flight for his first professional club, Sporting Lisbon.
Ronaldo’s four goals ensured Al Nassr returned to the top of the table on goal difference and with a game in hand on second-placed Al Shabab.
Portuguese star, Cristiano Ronaldo, on Thursday, scored twice in his first non-international match (Saudi debut) despite being punched in the head by a former team-mate, Keylor Navas.
Grimacing in pain from his bruised cheekbone after about 30 minutes in Riyadh, Ronaldo steadied himself before scoring from the penalty spot for his first goal in Saudi Arabia against a Paris Saint-Germain team featuring old foe Lionel Messi.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry has been among the greatest ever.
Messi scored just three minutes into the exhibition game when Ronaldo was flattened boxing-match style by PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas after about 30 minutes in Riyadh.
It was not Anthony Joshua but Navas who caught Ronaldo flush in the face with his forearm under a high ball.
Both went down like felled boxers.
Ronaldo held his head, got back up, did a wide yawn as if to test his sore left cheek, and sent his former Real Madrid teammate Navas the wrong way.
Cristiano Ronaldo fired in a penalty for his first goal
By the end of the first half Ronaldo’s cheekbone was bright apple red but he was all smiles after netting his second goal, smashing in a rebound when his header came back off the post. Poking his tongue out, Ronaldo wheeled away in delight and was mobbed by teammates at the corner flag.
When PSG star Kylian Mbappé checked on the state of Ronaldo’s cheek just before the second half, Ronaldo milked the attention from France’s World Cup star and pointed to the red mark.
Mbappé smiled at him as if to say “You’ll be fine” and Ronaldo raised his arm in triumph like a heavyweight champion.
Messi’s Qatari-backed PSG won 5-4 against a combined XI of Saudi Arabian teams Al Nassr and Al Hilal, captained by Al Nassr’s new signing Ronaldo, in front of 68,000 fans at King Fahd International Stadium. Although his team lost, Ronaldo edged perhaps the final installment of Ronaldo vs. Messi as one of the greatest rivalries in soccer history resumed in an unusual location.
Messi’s shot led to a handball and PSG’s fourth goal, scored by Mbappé from the penalty spot.
Ronaldo came off to a huge ovation just after the hour mark followed by Mbappé and Argentina’s World Cup-winning star Messi, who was warmly hugged by countryman Marcelo Gallardo, coaching the combined Saudi Arabian team.
Ronaldo’s bruise darkened with the night sky as he collected his man of the match award.
He was locked in conversation with ex-Madrid teammates Sergio Ramos and Navas before the medal ceremony. Then he spoke to Portugal teammates Renato Sanches and Danilo, who play for PSG.
But Ronaldo was nowhere near Messi, almost like they avoided each other. They could not do that earlier on the field, when Ronaldo tackled Messi in the second minute.
Moments later, Messi smiled as he scored from Neymar’s lofted pass. Ronaldo looked annoyed with his teammates for letting Messi ghost into space. Harsh, because few defenders have ever tracked Messi’s runs, let alone stopped them. The World Cup proved that if it was ever in doubt.
There was scant interaction between former Madrid star Ronaldo and Messi, his arch-rival during Barcelona’s glory days.
It was Ronaldo who tentatively approached an impassive-looking Messi at the center circle seconds before the whistle blew to start perhaps their final game as opponents.
There was a polite exchange, the briefest handshake.
Messi stared at Ronaldo late in the first half, after PSG defender Juan Bernat had been sent off, and Ronaldo seemed to look away from Messi.
It was a different mood in the tunnel beforehand, when a grinning Ronaldo hugged Ramos, who now plays alongside Messi, and joked with Ramos that he’d forgotten to remove an ear stud.
The laugh was on Ramos later, when he air-kicked a loose ball on Ronaldo’s second goal. PSG’s Neymar also missed, from the penalty spot.
The atmosphere built before the start as fans waved Argentina flags while others held up the yellow jersey of Al Nassr, pointing proudly to Ronaldo’s No. 7 on the back. The ticker tape poured from the stands as Ronaldo led his team out. He smiled and winked when he got a loud ovation.
Ronaldo made it a brace after firing in a rebound
Ronaldo could end his storied career in Riyadh after signing a deal worth a reported $200 million a year, swapping Europe’s elite club competition for the Asian Champions League.
He makes his Saudi league debut for Al Nassr on Sunday against Ettifaq, far from the fields where he shone for Manchester United and Madrid.
C. Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club, Al-Nassr assistant coach, Stephane Jobard, has opened up on the attitude of the five-time Balon d’Or winner in training.
Recall that Ronaldo fell out with the management and coaches of Manchester United after which his contract was terminated.
Shortly after the World Cup, he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al-Nassr worth a reported €200 million yearly.
His arrival at Al-Nassr has brought the world’s focus to the Saudi Arabian league.
But after a few training sessions with Ronaldo, Jobard found the Portugal captain humble and willing to get going on the pitch.
“In training, Cristiano Ronaldo made a mistake, and I told him that it was only necessary to touch the ball,” Jobard was quoted by Sportskeeda as saying.
“He pointed with his thumb up and said: ‘Well, coach..’ and I felt that this humble man wanted to perform on the field.”
Jobard continued, “In training, I passed a ball to the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, and he scored it, then I came to him and thanked him for scoring, and I can tell my children about this.”
Ronaldo, 37, is yet to make his debut for his new club Al-Nassr.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival at Al Nassr has claimed its first victim as Cameroonian international Vincent Aboubakar has reportedly had his contract terminated, According to Marca.
The rules on player registration in Saudi Arabia are strict as clubs can only have eight foreign players. Thus, Aboubakar is back on the transfer market and rumours are already flying.
Aboubakar was the best player for Cameroon in the 2022 World Cup and there will be no shortage of offers for him.
In Qatar he scored and assisted in the draw against Serbia (3-3) and was decisive with the winning goal against Brazil, even though the Africans were eliminated.
He also entered world cup folklore as he was sent off for his celebrations after scoring the winner against Brazil.
At Al Nassr, the Cameroonian played 12 league and cup games in which he scored four goals and provided two assists.
In total, the 30-year-old scored 13 goals in 39 games for Al Nassr, having previously played for Porto, Besiktas, Lorient, and Valenciennes.
A few days ago, with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, a video was released showing the Portuguese greeting the Cameroonian and talking to him. However, they will not be able to feature together at Al Nassr.
In Turkey, where Aboubakar already played for Besiktas, they report that he could join Fenerbahce. However, some in the English press think he could end up at Manchester United.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is perfecting plans to bend its marriage law for Al Nassr’s new signing Cristiano Ronaldo so as to allow him live with his long term girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez in the country.
Spanish news outlet Sport made this known via its medium on Friday
The Saudi Arabia law prohibit unmarried couples to live together or co-habitate in the country but the law is about to be twisted for Ronaldo.
Sport added that Ronaldo and Rodriguez will be living together in Saudi Arabia and are most likely not going to be punished for breaking the law.
Recall Ronaldo and Rodriguez have been living togetehr for many years and they have children between them.
Ronaldo recently signed for Al-Nassr after his contract with Manchester United was terminated in November.
The Portugal captain signed a contract with the Saudi Arabian outfit that would see him remain at the club until 2025.
The 37-year-old was officially unveiled as an Al-Nassr player this week.
The Portugues is now the highest paid footballer in the world as his annual gross income amount to 214 Million dollars yearly.
Upon joining the club, Ronaldo promised to help not only develop the sport in Al-Nassr but Saudi Arabia as a nation.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, who was served a two-game ban for smashing an Everton fan’s phone from their hand, has been banned from making his hotly-anticipated Al-Nassr debut today.
Despite the two-game FA suspension, Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, who was released by Manchester United last month after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, arrived in Riyadh on Monday and was greeted by a large group of adoring fans.
The forward then underwent his medical on Tuesday ahead of his official unveiling, which took place at Al-Nassr’s home stadium, Mrsool Park, and he later joined his new team-mates in his first training session.
Al-Nassr were hoping to hand the Portuguese star his big debut tomorrow having sold-out all of their 28,000 seats for their clash with Al Ta’ee.
However, he has been told he was suspended due to the punishment dished out by the FA after he slammed an Everton supporter’s phone out of their hand.
Ronaldo received a two-game ban and was fined by the FA in November following the incident with the autistic fan at Goodison Park in April and did not feature for the Red Devils again.
The former Manchester United striker, who was walking down the tunnel, was cautioned by Merseyside Police after he shoved the young boy’s phone out of his hand after Everton had beaten United 1-0 at Goodison Park.
He later issued an apology via social media for his “outburst” and issued an invite for the supporter to be his guest for a game at Old Trafford “as a sign of fair play and sportsmanship”.
He wrote: “It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing.
“Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set an example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.
“I would like to apologize for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair play and sportsmanship.”
But the 14-year-old Jake, who has autism, declined the forward’s offer and refused to accept his apology.
Due to the break for the World Cup, Ronaldo was unable to serve his suspension before his explosive United exit and now that ban will carry on to his new club.
And that effectively bars Al-Nassr from playing their new talisman until they have completed two competitive matches that he is available for.
Article 12.1 of Fifa’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players says: “Any disciplinary sanction of up to four matches or up to three months that has been imposed on a player by the former association but not yet (entirely) served by the time of the transfer shall be enforced by the new association at which the player has been registered in order for the sanction to be served at domestic level.”
The FA clarified that he must serve his suspension even if he moved abroad in their written reasons when they imposed the ban days after his high-profile interview with Morgan.
They wrote: “We note the Player has participated in a recently published interview in which he has criticized MUFC. We know not what effect that may nor will have on his future with that club nor whether it will take disciplinary action in respect thereof. The suspension we have imposed must have an effect.
“In other words, it applies to MUFC’s first team competitive matches for which he is eligible for selection. Should he leave MUFC before it completes two first-team competitive matches the balance of the suspension will apply to any new club he should join.
After tomorrow’s match, Al-Nassr are not back in action until Saturday 14 January in a derby against Al-Shabab.
They then face Ettifaq at home on January 21 – which now looks set to be Ronaldo’s first match.
Cristiano Ronaldo says his work in Europe is done, but he had “many opportunities” from other clubs before joining Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr.
He joined Al Nassr as a free agent on Friday after leaving Manchester United following a controversial interview in which he criticised the club.
The Portugal captain, 37, said he had offers from clubs in Brazil, Australia, the United States, and Portugal.
“I gave my word for this club,” he said at his unveiling on Tuesday.
“I won everything, I played for the most important clubs in Europe and now it is a new challenge in Asia.”
Ronaldo is reportedly set to receive the biggest football salary in history t more than £177m per year in a deal that runs until 2025.
“As nobody knows, I can say now I had many opportunities in Europe, many clubs in Brazil, Australia, the US, even in Portugal, many clubs tried to sign me,” Ronaldo told reporters at his first media conference.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was greeted with applause and shouts of his trademark ‘Siu’ celebration as he spoke. He answered questions from a club official but took none from reporters.
Speaking about his contract with the nine-time Saudi Pro League champions, Ronaldo said: “This contract is unique but I’m a unique player, so for me it’s normal.
“I know the league is very competitive, I saw many games. I hope to play after [Wednesday] if the coach thinks there’s a chance. I’m ready to keep playing football.”
Al Nassr head coach Rudi Garcia said signing Ronaldo was “fantastic” for Saudi Arabia.
“In my life, I’ve seen that great players like Cristiano are the simplest to manage, because there’s nothing I can teach him,” the Frenchman said.
“My goal, my objective for Cristiano is to make him happy. I want him to enjoy playing with Al Nassr and winning with Al Nassr.”
Following the media conference he posed in his new Al Nassr kit on the club’s pitch in front of thousands of fans.
Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo has a release clause in his Al Nassr deal allowing him to join Newcastle United.
Marca says Ronaldo’s Al Nassr contract has a clause in it that would allow him to join Eddie Howe’s Newcastle on loan if they qualify for the Champions League.
This is because of the Middle Eastern link – with the North East outfit owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
Newcastle became the richest club in the world following their £300m takeover in 2021.
And it means they are now able to afford a player with the star power of former Manchester United striker Ronaldo.
But along with the financial incentive, Newcastle may also be able to offer Champions League football given their superb form domestically so far this season.
The indomitable Lions of Cameroon star, Vincent Aboubakar has welcomed his club new acquisition, C.Ronaldo to the Saudi Arabian club side, Al Nassr after celebrating one of his goals with the Portuguese’s trademark goal celebration.
The Portuguese was snapped up for a staggering fee of $200 million move last Friday after months of speculations concerning Ronaldo’s destination.
The Portugal captain will soon be unveiled at a mega event hosted by Al-Nassr fans to welcome their biggest-ever signing.
Aboubakar has now turned in 12 goals and five assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for Al Nassr FC.
Aboubakar scored in Al-Nassr’s 1-0 league victory over Al-Khaleej, sending a defiant message to the 37-year-old Portugal international by copying Ronaldo’s celebration when he scored his last Premier League goal for Manchester United.
The goal comes amid Aboubakar’s ongoing feud with Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.
Before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Cameroon main man said he was equally good as Salah.
Before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the Cameroon main man said he was equally good as Salah.
“…I don’t give a toss if people don’t like it – I’m not impressed by him [Salah].”
It was a different mood in the tunnel beforehand, when a grinning Ronaldo hugged Ramos, who now plays alongside Messi, and joked with Ramos that he’d forgotten to remove an ear stud.
