Cristiano Ronaldo was officially unveiled as an Al-Nassr player on January 3 in front of the club’s supporters at Mrsool Park. Before the unveiling, Ronaldo claimed that he not only wanted to develop Saudi Arabian football, but the country in general as well.
Ahmed asked the former Real Madrid superstar to do the humane thing and shed light on human rights violations across the country. She said (via Amnesty.org):
Saudi Arabia took control of Premier League club Newcastle United in 2021 and is also making its way into golf, boxing, tennis, and F1. She urged Ronaldo not to let Saudi Arabia use his global stardom for sportswashing:
In addition to signing prominent players and taking over big clubs, Saudi Arabia is reportedly contemplating making a joint bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup (via NDTV).
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr debut to be delayed due to FA sanctions
According to the Daily Mail, Cristiano Ronaldo is ineligible to make his much-anticipated Al-Nassr debut on January 5, against Al-Ta’ee.
The former Manchester United man was slapped with a £50,000 fine and a two-match ban by the England Football Association on November 17. The Portuguese superstar received the punishment for slapping the phone of a young Everton fan’s hands in September 2022.
Although Ronaldo does not come under the FA anymore, he will have to serve a two-game suspension even in Saudi Arabia, according to FIFA guidelines. Article 12.1 of FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players reads:
Courtesy of the ban, Ronaldo’s debut could now come in the clash against Ettifaq on January 21.
0 votes
