CELEBRITY
Al Nassr say Ronaldo has no clause in contract to support Saudi World Cup bid
Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr have denied reports that Cristiano Ronaldo has a clause in his contract in which the Portugal forward is to serve as an ambassador for the Gulf country’s 2030 World Cup bid.
The 37-year-old moved to Al Nassr in December after signing a two-and-a-half-year contract estimated by media to be worth more than €200 million (S$286 million).
Media reports on Monday suggested Ronaldo would be paid another €200 million to support Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid.
“Al Nassr FC would like to clarify that, contrary to news reports, Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract with Al Nassr does not entail commitments to any World Cup bids,” the club said in a statement in the early hours of Wednesday.
“His main focus is on Al Nassr and to work with his teammates to help the club achieve success.”
The oil-rich kingdom, along with Egypt and Greece, is considering a bid to host football’s 2030 showpiece.
The window to submit bids opened in 2022 and the winner will be selected at the Fifa Congress in 2024.
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament will be shared by three different countries.
Ronaldo’s arrival in Saudi Arabia came just weeks after neighbouring Qatar became the first Arab nation to host the World Cup.
Argentina, led by the Portuguese superstar’s arch-rival Lionel Messi, beat France on penalties in the final following a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo, who has also won the Champions League five times and holds that tournament’s goal-scoring record, is expected to make his Al Nassr debut on Jan 22 against Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.
His first appearance for the club could also come against Messi on Jan 19 as Al Nassr are reportedly set to face French side Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly in Riyadh.
While Al Nassr are adamant that Ronaldo has no involvement in any World Cup bid, Messi was in 2022 announced by the Saudi Tourism Authority as its official brand ambassador.
The country has constantly faced criticism for its poor human rights record and crackdowns on LGBTQ+ issues, and that the luring of Ronaldo is the latest “sports washing” attempt to put the nation in a good light.
The conservative kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, has undertaken other high-profile sporting ventures, including the purchase of a majority stake in English Premier League club Newcastle United.
It has also bankrolled the lucrative LIV Golf league.
–Reuters/AFP
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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