After being legally registered by his new team Al Nassr, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo might make his Saudi Arabian debut on January 22, a club source told AFP on Saturday.
Ronaldo, who made his public debut this week, was added to the roster when Al Nassr released Manchester United-affiliated striker Vincent Aboubakar in order to adhere to the Saudi league’s limit of a maximum of eight international players.
After serving a two-match suspension for breaking a fan’s cellphone while playing for Manchester United in November, he will now be eligible for the home game against Ettifaq on January 22.
“Al Nassr terminated Vincent Aboubakar’s contract by mutual consent and he received all his financial rights,” the club source said, adding that Ronaldo was registered before Al Nassr’s game against Al Ta’ee on Friday.
“So now he served one game from the ban and will serve the other one against Al Shabab” on January 14, the source said.
The representative stated that Aboubakar, 30, was now a free agent and could negotiate with any team but chose not to address rumors that he would be headed to Manchester United.
Ronaldo, 37, joined Al Nassr in a deal believed to be worth around 200 million euros that has shone an unprecedented light on the Saudi Pro League.
As Saudi Arabia considers a joint candidacy with Greece and Egypt for the 2030 World Cup, the neighboring country of Qatar, which Saudi Arabia watched host the World Cup in November and December, is considering a similar move.
In an effort to soften its stern image, draw international investment, and diversify its oil-dependent economy, the extremely conservative country is buying sports-related properties.