One of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, landed joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in a move that will see him become the highest-paid athlete on the planet.
While Ronaldo’s move to the Middle East as a professional footballer made sense from a financial perspective, as he is set to earn an estimated 200 million euros ($211m) annually, the move did raise some eyebrows.
Cristiano Ronaldo has claimed that he had a plethora of offers from European clubs but decided to join Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr anyway, saying that his work in Europe was done, having won everything there.
Cristiano Ronaldo was officially presented as an Al-Nassr player on Tuesday.
The Portuguese superstar described himself as a ‘unique player’ and insisted his ‘career was not over’ as he arrived at his new home.
‘I’m a unique player. It’s good to come here, I broke all the records there (in Europe) and I want to break a few records here,’ Ronaldo told the media at Al Nassr’s Mrsool Park stadium, where the 25000-capacity crowd cheered him on.
‘I’m coming here to win, to play, to enjoy, to be part of the success of the country and culture of the country,’ he added.
Ronaldo has already been presented as an Al-Nassr player in a huge gathering, which was widely watched worldwide on live streaming .
Ronaldo may be available for selection in the club’s next match on January 5 but is unlikely to feature, having not gotten training sessions under his belt yet.