Cristiano Ronaldo publicly defended Joรฃoโข Fรฉlix‘s transfer โto โฃAl-Nassr, rebuking critics who questioned the move by the former Chelsea player to the Saudi Pro League.The Portugueseโฃ superstar’s โsupport came โฃas Fรฉlix โfinalized his contract with โขAl-Nassr, joining Ronaldo in a league increasingly attracting high-profileโฃ footballers.
The controversy surrounding players โchoosing the Saudi Pro League-and Fรฉlix’sโค decision specifically-stemmedโ from perceptions ofโ it as a step down from Europe’s top competitions. Ronaldo’s vocal backing underscores the growing ambition of Al-Nassrโ andโฃ the Saudi League to establish itself as a major forceโ in โฃglobal โขfootball, offering substantial financial incentives and a developing sporting surroundings.This shift impacts player career trajectories, theโค competitiveโฃ landscape โฃof โEuropean football, and theโค broader โgeopoliticalโ strategy of Saudi Arabia’s sports investment.
Fรฉlixโฃ revealed Ronaldo played a key role in his decision, stating, โข”You can see he’s โbuilding something here andโค doing hisโฃ part in developing the โขproject.” He added, “he was one of โคthe first to talk to me about coming here, and when he talked to me, I feltโ a wonderful momentโข and a beautiful feeling, and โขthat helped convince โme.”
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr after a contentiousโค departure from Manchester United, has since registered 95 goals in 109 appearances for the club. In june, he committed to a new two-year contract withโ Al-Nassr valuedโค at ยฃ492 million, solidifying his position as a central โคfigure in the league’s expansion.Ronaldo’s engagement to Georgina โRodriguez โlast month furtherโ highlights his settledโ life in Saudiโข Arabia, contributing โto the image of the league as a viableโ long-term destination for top โplayers.