More people watched Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr presentation than Lionel Messi’s World Cup-winning moment.
Spanish journalist Pedro Sepulveda reported Ronaldo’s presentation got “3 billion views on 40 stations around the world”. He went on to say that if the World Cup final between Argentina and France had been televised on those 40 networks, the number would have eclipsed the number.
Despite being presented, Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to play in Al-first Nassr’s game. As Al-Nassr won 2-0, the star forward was in a VIP box.
Ronaldo was unable to make his much anticipated debut in Riyadh due to a two-match FA ban for shattering a young Everton fan’s phone while at United.
Any suspension of up to four matches handed to a player by their old association must be “executed by the new association,” according to FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP).
The game versus Al Tae’e was supposed to take place on Thursday, but it was pushed back by 24 hours owing to severe rain.
Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Al-Nassr after a contentious departure from Manchester United.
Ronaldo agreed to a contract extension through the summer of 2025, and according to sources, he would earn $75 million a year, making him the highest-paid player in history.
Ronaldo will also miss Al Nassr’s match against Riyadh rivals Al Shabab on January 14. His first game for his new team will be against Al-Ettifaq on January 22 at Mrsool Park.