Saudi Arabia club Al Nassr announced the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo on December 31, 2022 on a two-year contract, paying the Portuguese player €200 million per year.
Following the transfer, Al Nassr’s following on social media platform Instagram has sky rocketed from just over 800,000 to over 6 million, and counting. According to reports, there have been enquiries by multiple broadcasters to telecast the games of the club in Europe.
The club offered various commercial incentives in order to convince Ronaldo to join the team. “History in the making. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves,” the team had said after the signing.
When was Al Nassr founded?
The club was established in Riyadh in 1955 by Zeid Bin Mutlaq Al-Ja’ba Al-Dewish Al-Mutairi. It remained an amateur club until 1960.
The leadership of the club was later taken over by Abdul Rahman bin Saud Al Saud, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. The team started playing in the second division before winning promotion in 1963.
Does the Saudi crown own Al Nassr?
No, the club is run by presidents who are elected by a board. In the past, crown princes have been associated with the leadership of the club. The current president of the club is Musalli Al-Muammar.
How many titles has Al Nassr won?
The club has nine league titles, with the latest triumph coming in 2019. It has six King’s Cup, three Crown Prince’s Cup trophies, three Federation Cup wins and two Saudi Super Cup titles.
Cristiano Ronaldo arrives at Riyadh International Airport ahead of his presentation at Al Nassr. | Photo Credit: AP
What is Al Nassr’s home stadium?
Al Nassr plays football at the Mrsool Park which has a capacity of 25,000. This is where Ronaldo will be presented to the fans on Tuesday.
Who is Al Nassr’s coach?
Al Nassr is coached by Rudi Garcia, who previously managed Lille, AS Roma, Olympique Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais. The Frenchman has been in charge since June.
Who are the other prominent international players in Al Nassr?
Other notable foreign players in the squad include Cameroon’s World Cup hero Vincent Aboubakar - who changed the game against Serbia and scored the winner to stun Brazil in their last group game in Qatar.
Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina, who previously played for Arsenal and Napoli, as well as former Brazil international and midfielder Luiz Gustavo are also in the squad.
Who is Al Nassr’s leading goalscorer?
The club’s all-time top scorer is Majed Abdullah. The former Saudi striker scored 189 goals and averaged nearly a goal a game.
What is Al Nassr’s rank in Saudi Pro League 2022/23 season standings?
Al Nassr goes into 2023 sitting top of the league with 26 points after 11 matches, having won eight games and lost just once. Al Shabab is a point behind in second place with a game in hand.
Brazilian midfielder Talisca is its top scorer this season with six goals - a joint league-high.
With the AFC changing the format for the Champions League, Ronaldo’s new team must now win the league this season to qualify for the group stage of the 2023–24 edition, which is set to begin in September.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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