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November 9, 2023
When we received the news Ronaldo was going to sign for a Saudi Arabian club, we were shocked like most football fans out there. However, the true reason behind this decision is only starting to become clearer now that the European Champions and World Cup approach...
The legend that is Cristiano Ronaldo, or CR7, as he is branded worldwide, has achieved nearly everything in the world of football throughout the last two decades. Not only that, but the Portuguese superstar is also one of the most recognised names in the world, not just in football and is still the highest paid athlete across all sports, according to a report by Forbes earlier this year. In his contract signed with Al Nassr in the end of last year, Ronaldo started earning a total of 200 million euros per season...
Cristiano Ronaldo - 20's vs 30's:
As CR7 enters the twilight years of his career, what else is there to achieve for the former Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid legend? Ronaldo turned 38 in February and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Al Nassr after he announced he was leaving Manchester United on 22nd November 2022 after a disappointing second spell with the English record champions. Ronaldo is currently contracted until the age of 40 but with his physique and dedication to the sport, we could easily see Ronaldo play beyond the expiration of his current deal. And for a player who has always risen to a challenge, there are a few more accolades that CR7 can still add to his bulging awards cabinet.
With the Saudi Arabian football league still in its infancy, any medals or trophies won this season on the domestic front might not send shockwaves around the world but would regardless be something to add to the Wikipedia page. The main avenues of recognition lie with the Portuguese national team and the upcoming tournaments. Even at the age of 38, Ronaldo still led the front line in Portugal's recent victories against Bosnia-Herzegovina (5-0) and Slovakia (3-2), where Ronaldo scored four goals across the two matches, taking his tally on the international stage to 127 goals.
With Portugal already qualified for next year’s marquee footballing event, Ronaldo will be hoping to lead his nation to their second UEFA European Championship triumph, after defeating host nation France 1-0 in 2016. It is not only Ronaldo's goalscoring output at his age that makes Portugal one of the favourites with sports betting at Cloudbet, but the current crop of players make the Portuguese squad a real force to be reckoned with. From back to front, the team is packed with world class talent and winners, but more importantly, there is talent that will be around for another few major tournaments.
The World Cup 2026 represents another opportunity for Ronaldo to potentially add the trophy that has alluded him throughout his whole career to his collection. CR7 will be 41 by the time the tournament in America, Canada and Mexico rolls around, but many expect the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner to be part of the squad at least if he is still playing football. And who knows, there might be more headlines about Ronaldo to be written in the coming years.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Al Nassr is on November 11 for the Saudi Pro League, against Al Wahda. You can watch Al Duhail vs Al Nassr, West Ham vs Olympiakos, Wolverhampton vs Tottenham, Toulouse vs Liverpool, Ajax vs Brighton and Aston Villa vs AZ Alkmaar, all matches provided from our soccer streaming game pages.
Al Nassr next game:
Al Wahda vs Al Nassr kick-off time (11-11-2023):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+7: 01:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+4.30: 22:30
Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) | UTC/GMT+2: 20:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 19:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 18:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 15:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 14:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 11:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / skysports.com / ussoccer.com
