In the early hours of July 18th, Cristiano Ronaldo, along with his new teammates Marcelo Brozovic and forward Anderson Talisca, made their appearances for Al-Nassr in a match against Celta Vigo, but unfortunately, they were defeated with a surprising 5-0 scoreline.
This was Cristiano Ronaldo’s first match with Al-Nassr after his summer break. The club’s recent €18 million signing from Inter Milan, midfielder Brozovic, also had his debut for the team in Saudi Arabia.
However, despite the star power of Ronaldo and his companions, Al-Nassr couldn’t secure a victory against the mid-tier La Liga team, Celta Vigo, and the defeat was quite substantial. Ronaldo played in the first half and had one opportunity to score, but unfortunately, he missed it.
In the second half, Al-Nassr played with a man down as Abdulelah Al Amri received a red card in the 52nd minute. Coupled with other changes in the playing personnel, this led to conceding a series of goals.
After the match, Cristiano Ronaldo expressed that the defeat would not affect Al-Nassr’s preparations for the upcoming season. Prior to his involvement in training and matches, the club had won two matches, beating Alverca 2-0 and Farense 5-1.
“The Saudi Pro League has made tremendous progress in just one year. Many criticized me for coming to this league, but look at what has happened now. I paved the way, and now all the top players are coming here.
I am 38 years old now, and I won’t return to Europe; that door is completely closed. European football has lost a lot of quality, only the Premier League still maintains its value, surpassing all others. The Saudi Pro League has surpassed the Turkish Super Lig, Eredivisie, and even MLS,” Cristiano Ronaldo shared.
He also responded to the criticism from UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, who said, “In Saudi Arabia, they are buying players at the end of their careers; that is not a football development system, that’s just a mistake.”
“Look at Jota and Ruben Neves, they are both young players,” Ronaldo asserted. He added, “When I arrived at Juventus, Serie A was dying, but after I signed…it was revived. Wherever Cristiano Ronaldo goes, it always generates greater interest. The Saudi Pro League is now better than ever; top players are coming here,” he concluded.
