da apostebet： The five-time Ballon d'Or winner might be the face of Saudi Arabian football, but his new club are still waiting for him to make a decisive impact
da poker： "My work in Europe is done. I played at the best clubs in the world… and I won everything. I’m happy and proud to join Al-Nassr. People don’t know about the level here. This contract is unique because I am a unique player. It's normal for me."
Cristiano Ronaldo's first words to the media after being officially presented as an Al-Nassr player were true in some respects. He won seven league titles and five Champions League winners' medals across spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, scoring a staggering 696 goals.
He may even have been as happy as he claimed in that moment, given the fact he had just signed up for a reported annual salary of £177 million ($215m) to become the highest-paid player in world football.
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But no one really believed that Ronaldo wanted to leave Europe.
During his infamous interview with Piers Morgan on that effectively ended his second spell at United, the Portugal striker made it quite clear that he wanted to continue playing at the very highest level.
Morgan said to his esteemed guest: "It comes back to my gut feeling about you, that if it was just about money you’d be in Saudi Arabia earning a King’s ransom. But that’s not what motivates you. You want to keep at the top.”
Ronaldo, who reportedly rejected a similarly lucrative offer from the Middle East last summer, then replied: "Exactly."
The Portugal striker had every intention of remaining in Europe, but none of the big clubs wanted him. After burning his bridges at United, the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Napoli all distanced themselves from Ronaldo.
He was successful at Juventus, but even his own team-mates were glad to see the back of him when he re-joined United in 2021. Ronaldo then delivered plenty of goals in his homecoming season at Old Trafford, only to throw his toys out of the pram when Erik ten Hag decided he should no longer be the main man in the team.
Al-Nassr ended up being Ronaldo's best option when all other avenues were closed off, and although the move has allowed him to take centre stage again, he is still not having everything his own way…
GettyAl-Nassr are in a worse position
Al-Nassr have made a fortune through shirt and ticket sales since signing Ronaldo, while also boosting their social media following to record-breaking levels for a Saudi club.
The 38-year-old's presence alone has also helped to drastically raise the profile of the league across the globe, but he hasn't improved the team.
When Ronaldo initially joined, Al-Nassr were sitting three points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League after 13 matches. They have since recorded three draws and two losses alongside just six wins, which has allowed Al-Ittihad to leapfrog them at the summit.
They were comfortably beaten 2-0 by arch-rivals Al-Hilal last time out, and consequently, trail the league leaders by three points having played a game more.
Vincent Aboubakar previously led the line for Al-Nassr, but was released to free up a spot in the squad for Ronaldo to be registered. So far, that decision has not helped the club reach new levels on the pitch.
Al-Nassr midfielder Luiz Gustavo said when attempting to explain their erratic form in February: “Certainly the presence of Cristiano makes it difficult for us as all teams seek to participate against him in the best possible way, and he gives motivation to everyone [on the opposition].”
If that is indeed the case, Ronaldo should be expected to rise to that challenge as one of the finest players to ever grace the game.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe shadow of Messi
Ronaldo may have turned his back on European football, but he has not been able to escape the lingering shadow of Lionel Messi.
The eternal GOAT debate was put to bed once and for all at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with Messi inspiring Argentina to their third global title while Ronaldo and Portugal were sent packing after an upset against Morocco in the quarter-finals.
It has been suggested that Messi "completed football" by getting his hands on the one piece of silverware that had eluded him, but he has no desire to start winding his career down just yet.
At 35, the diminutive magician remains the best in the business, and will probably continue to shatter all kinds of records in the coming years, with a final swansong at the next World Cup in 2026 not being ruled out.
In stark contrast – whether he will admit it or not – Ronaldo is coming to the end.
The two men shared the same pitch for perhaps the final time when PSG made the trip to Saudi Arabia for a glorified friendly in January, and while Ronaldo scored two goals to Messi's one in that contest, the whole event felt like a sad goodbye to the very top level for the Portuguese forward.
Ronaldo often played up their rivalry in the past, and opposition supporters in Saudi Arabia have quickly realised how to push his buttons.
The veteran frontman was greeted by Messi chants before Al-Nassr's 3-1 Saudi Super Cup semi-final loss to Al-Ittihad just days after the friendly against PSG, and he was subjected to more of the same this week.
Before, during, and after Al-Hilal's win against Al-Nassr, the home crowd called out Messi's name, with Ronaldo appearing to make an obscene gesture in response before making his way down the tunnel at full-time.
The incident led to calls for Ronaldo to be expelled from the country, and although Al-Nassr have offered an explanation, you don't have to be a body language expert to see that he is not happy with how things are going.
It has even been reported that Messi could join be in line for a move to Al-Hilal that would see him eclipse Ronaldo once again, and even if that appears unlikely, it's safe to say that Al-Nassr's poster boy is getting sick of hearing his name.
GettyShameless petulance
One of the themes of Ronaldo's ill-fated final few months at United was his regular outbursts of frustration, as he lambasted his colleagues for misplaced passes, missed chances and defensive errors.
That behaviour has continued at Al-Nassr, who don't have the luxury of a squad brimming with top-class talent to give Ronaldo the best chance to make a decisive difference in the final third.
After another defeat to Al-Ittihad in March, this time in the league, Ronaldo couldn't hide his anger.
He threw his hands up in the air while stomping off the pitch despite the best efforts of one of his team-mates to try and calm him down, before kicking out violently at a water bottle on the touchline – with more Messi chants ringing round in the background.
Later in the month, he was booked for drop-kicking the ball away after the referee blew the half-time whistle to stop him leading a counter-attack the Kings Cup quarter-final tie against Abha.
Al-Nassr were already 2-0 up at that stage, but Ronaldo wasn't one of the scorers, which was likely the reason for his petulance. He tends to think of himself ahead of the collective.
Another example came after Al-Nassr dropped more points with a 0-0 draw at Al-Feiha, as Ronaldo appeared to get involved in a verbal altercation with an opposition player before storming down the tunnel without acknowledging the away supporters.
These are not the actions you would expect from a man with Ronaldo's vast experience. After an illustrious 20-year career, he still lacks the maturity to control his emotions and set a good example for the younger members of the Al-Nassr squad.
Ronaldo was instantly made captain upon his arrival at Mrsool Park, but he has yet to prove that he deserves that responsibility.
Getty ImagesMisleading goals record & minimal impact
Ronaldo's Al-Nassr debut was a glitzy occasion as he received a rapturous reception from 25,000 fans at Al-Nassr's sold-out home ground.
The hosts didn't provide too much in the way of entertainment, though, as they ground out an unconvincing 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Talisca, who outshone Ronaldo on the night.
The Portuguese striker drew a blank in his next outing too, before finally getting off the mark with a last-minute penalty to seal a 2-2 draw for Al-Nassr against Al-Fateh.
Fast forward three months, and Ronaldo is up to 11 goals and two assists from his first 13 appearances in Saudi Arabia, but that record is not as impressive as it seems.
He scored all three goals to fire Al-Nassr to victory against Damac, and was the only man on the scoresheet once again in their 4-0 triumph over Al-Wehda, with his first goal in that contest marking the 500th league strike of his career.
Ronaldo then rolled back the years with a 30-yard free kick in a 2-1 win against Abha, but he's also failed to score in a grand total of eight games, including in the losses to Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal.
He should be finding the net on a far more frequent basis in a league that even he has admitted doesn't hold a candle to any of Europe's top five divisions.
Al-Nassr thought they were getting a player that would be the difference-maker, but Ronaldo has often looked off the pace and his decision-making has been poor. He loses possession cheaply far too often and his passing is nowhere near as crisp as it once was.
Ronaldo took games by the scruff of the neck in his prime and was ruthlessly efficient in the final third of the pitch. He has looked a shadow of his former self at Al-Nassr, regardless of what the numbers might say.