LONDON: Unwanted by Europe’s elite clubs, Cristiano Ronaldo’s steep decline has seen his move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nasr signal the end of his reign as football’s most feared striker. Gives.
Ronaldo will be officially unveiled by Al Nasr on Tuesday after agreeing a deal that runs until 2025 and is reportedly worth more than €200 million.
But the wealth and fanfare that awaits the 37-year-old in Saudi Arabia contrasts with his declining status as a fallen star trading on past heroics.
Ronaldo being forced to play in the football backwater of Saudi Arabia will surely be the final chapter of his illustrious career, a damning indictment of his poor form over the past 18 months.
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, heads to the Gulf after a painful year in which he was relegated to the bench for Portugal and backed out of the Manchester United side.
His second spell with United erupted with his departure by mutual consent in November, shortly after he criticized boss Erik ten Hague and the club’s hierarchy in an explosive television interview.
As his relationship with United soured, Ronaldo was linked with a string of Champions League suitors including Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Napoli.
He was also rumored to be returning to his first club Sporting Lisbon, while there was talk of a move to the MLS to join Inter Miami, owned by former United teammate David Beckham.
But none of those deals came to fruition and when United decided their dwindling contribution, along with public dissent, made it an expensive luxury they no longer needed. No, it was instructive to note the absence of a rush to sign the aging icon.
Along with his acrimonious exit from United, Ronaldo’s failed bid to finally win the World Cup marked his descent into the ranks of football’s mere mortals.
Tears in Qatar.
In a move that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, Ronaldo was left out of the starting line-up for Portugal’s last 16 win over Switzerland.
And when Portugal lost 1-0 to Morocco in the quarter-finals, Ronaldo started on the bench, made little impact after his final introduction and was seen walking down the tunnel in tears after the final whistle. .
There was a sting in the World Cup saga for Ronaldo as it was his old sparring partner Lionel Messi who lifted his hands on the trophy for the first time instead.
The sight of Messi lifting the World Cup after Argentina’s last-gasp victory over France in Qatar will hurt Ronaldo given their long-standing rivalry.
After winning five Champions League crowns and a combined seven domestic league titles with United, Juventus and Real Madrid, few would question Ronaldo’s right to be considered one of the all-time greats.
He is also the record goalscorer in the Champions League and with the Portuguese national team, which won the 2016 European Championship — Ronaldo lasted less than half an hour before being injured in the final against France.
But Messi’s victory with Argentina put him in the ranks of football’s immortals alongside Pele and Diego Maradona, a rarity that Ronaldo will never be able to sample without a World Cup triumph on his CV. .
Ronaldo’s decision to accept a lucrative contract in the Middle East rather than play for a lesser European team made it clear that he is aware of his low place in football’s hierarchy.
Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah are the new world stars to step into Ronaldo’s shoes.
Al Nasr welcomed Ronaldo’s signing, claiming the “historic” deal would “inspire future generations to be the best version of themselves”.
But for the millions who have been enthralled by Ronaldo over the past two decades, this version of the superstar is far from his best.
