Al Nassr president Musli Al-Muammar has heaped praise on his new recruit Cristiano Ronaldo following his stunning display for Riyadh All-Star XI in the friendly against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Cristiano Ronaldo captained Riyadh All-Star XI, a team featuring players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal, in Thursday’s (19 January) Riyadh Seasons Cup friendly against PSG. Lionel Messi’s PSG came out on top in the hotly-contested affair, securing a 5-4 victory, but it was Ronaldo who emerged as the best player of the match.
The Portuguese superstar scored an excellent brace, smartly putting away a 34th-minute penalty to restore parity for Riyadh All-Star XI after Messi put PSG in front. Again, in first-half injury time, he exhibited his razor-sharp reflexes to tuck home the rebound after his initial header clattered against the left post. The brace deservedly won him the Man of the Match award in his first-ever game in Saudi Arabia.
After the match, Al-Muammar gave his verdict on Ronaldo’s display against the Parisians, insisting that it was normal for him to score a brace.
“Ronaldo’s game today is normal, he scored two goals today, this is normal,” he said (via CristianoXtra).
Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled as an Al Nassr player at the Mrsool Park on 3 January after he signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Saudi Arabian club. It has been reported that he will earn a staggering $200 million per year during his time with the Riyadh-based club.
Ronaldo is expected to make his debut for Al Nassr on 22 January, against Saudi Pro League rivals Ettifaq.
Cristiano Ronaldo happy to see “old friends” in Riyadh friendly
Following a difficult 2022, in which he saw his Manchester United contract terminated and endured a quarter-final exit at the World Cup, Ronaldo has enjoyed a strong start to 2023. In his first-ever match in Saudi Arabia, he not only scored a brace but also looked like enjoying playing the sport.
After the game, Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media to express his joy, revealing that he was happy to be back on the scoresheet and catching up with old friends.
“So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! And nice to see some old friends!”
PSG superstars Keylor Navas and Sergio Ramos were his long-time teammates at Real Madrid, while he shared the pitch with Barcelona legend Messi a whopping 36 times before the game. Considering all the aforementioned players are well into their twilight, it was possibly the last time they all participated in a game of football together.
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