After signing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo made a mistake during his official presentation in Riyadh on Tuesday when he mistakenly said he had arrived "in South Africa".
Perhaps the Portuguese felt disoriented by the commotion caused by his arrival at his new club: he flew to Saudi Arabia on Monday night, passed the medical examination the next morning, and then was welcomed by thousands of fans at his new stadium, Mrsool Park.
“For me, coming to South Africa is not the end of my career," Cristiano said in a press conference before stepping onto the field of the stadium, which has a capacity of 25,000 people. “I really don't care what people say. I made my decision and I have the responsibility to change it, but I am very, very happy here."
CRISTIANO RONALDO CONFUSES HIS NEW HOME, SAUDI ARABIA WITH... SOUTH AFRICA ????????⚽️. pic.twitter.com/Q2Mt4fgce5
January 4, 2023
After what was clearly a verbal slip, the forward exposed his reasons for joining Al-Nassr's ranks and said he had rejected "many clubs" from all over the world in one of the most surprising transfers in football history.
“I want to give a different view of this country and its football. That's why I took this opportunity," he said. "I know the league is very competitive. People don't know it, but I do because I watched many matches".
The former forward of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus has a two-and-a-half-year contract to play in the Saudi Pro League that could earn him up to 200 million dollars per year.
MGC