• Cristiano Ronaldo arrives in Riyadh ahead of his official unveiling Al Nassr club.
• Portugal star will appear at Al Nassr’s 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park stadium in Riyadh.
• The 37-year-old has left Manchester United after criticizing the club in a TV interview.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese footballing sensation, has landed in Riyadh ahead of his major unveiling in front of thousands of supporters at Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr club.

According to Al Ekhbariya state-run TV, the 37-year-old arrived in Saudi Arabia’s capital late Monday after closing a deal worth more than 200 million euros ($213 million). The five-time Ballon d’Or champion is staying in a city fancy hotel with a large entourage.

“He brought a big team of assistants and even a private security firm,” an official told the news agency.

Ronaldo, who left Manchester United under fire after criticising the club in a TV interview, will appear at Al Nassr’s 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park stadium in Riyadh on Tuesday at 7 p.m. local time (16:00 GMT).

Ronaldo’s newest and possibly final chapter comes just weeks after Portugal’s World Cup quarterfinal elimination in neighbouring Qatar, where his great rival Lionel Messi lifted the cup with Argentina.

According to one official who did not want to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media, Al Nassr is expecting a crowded stadium for the unveiling.

Ronaldo is by far the most famous player to have played in Saudi Arabia, but other legends such as George Weah, Pep Guardiola, and Xavi have also spent time in the affluent Gulf in their later years.

Ronaldo has five Champions League trophies to his name, as well as league triumphs in Italy with Juventus, Spain with Real Madrid, and England with Manchester United. He is also the Champions League and Portuguese national team best scorer, with whom he won Euro 2016. With his penalty in the group-stage win over Ghana at the recent World Cup 2022 in Qatar, he became the first man to score in five World Cups.

He’s also among the highest-paid. The Portuguese forward reportedly earned 31 million euros ($33 million) at Juventus before accepting a wage cut to rejoin Manchester United.

Ronaldo’s contract extension with Al Nassr until June 2025 is the oil-rich kingdom’s latest incursion into top-tier sports, following its acquisitions of Formula One, boxing, and golf, as well as English club Newcastle United.

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