May 29, (THEWILL) – Cristiano Ronaldo’s much-anticipated move to Saudi Arabian club, Al-Nassr, in January, was filled with high hopes, but it ultimately ended in disappointment.
Even with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s impressive goal-scoring record, Al-Nassr finished the season without any silverware and the Portuguese ace will be left empty-handed at the twilight of yet another football campaign.
The dream of lifting a trophy came to a crushing end for Ronaldo and his team on Saturday, when Al-Ittihad secured the league title with one match remaining. This victory marked Al-Ittihad’s first league championship since 2009.
THEWILL recalls that Ronaldo’s departure from Manchester United in 2022 was fueled by a controversial television interview in which he expressed feeling betrayed by the club and lacking respect for their manager, Erik ten Hag. Al-Nassr took the opportunity to sign the prolific forward until 2025, making him the world’s highest-paid athlete with a deal reportedly exceeding €200 million ($214.61 million) according to Forbes.
Although Ronaldo managed to score 14 goals in 16 league games, he failed to find the back of the net during a disappointing 1-1 draw with Al-Ettifaq, which resulted in his substitution.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
