Cristiano Ronaldo can't even sell-out disappointing Al-Nassr debut

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 24 Jan 2023 08:06 GMT
• 5 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo has made his debut with Al-Nassr in a Saudi Pro League encounter against Eittfaq on Sunday.

Ronaldo’s first appearance in Saudi Arabia came with an all-star team during midweek in a sparkling 5-4 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain, which reunited the Portuguese and long-time rival Lionel Messi on the field for what might one last time.

The fireworks of that exhibition match were not replicated by his club side, however, as they produced a 1-0 win to keep them top of the standings.

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Disappointing crowd for Ronaldo debut

For Ronaldo, though, the occasion proved to be a disappointment. He failed to register a single shot on target in the game while the occasion did not prove to be the gala event that he – and Al-Nassr – might have wished.

Although tickets were sold for a record price to see him line up against PSG, Al-Nassr’s King Saud University Stadium, which holds 25,000 fans, was little over 90% full for the game, with 22,862 watching the match – more than 45,000 down on the crowd that watched the PSG encounter.

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Indeed, this was only Al-Nassr’s third biggest crowd of the season in the Saudi Pro League. A scoreless draw against Al-Ittihad in October and the big rivalry clash against Al-Hilal on 26 December both attracted greater audiences than Ronaldo’s debut.

On the field, meanwhile, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s performance was equally forgettable as a goal from Anderson Talisca, the former Shakhtar Donetsk forward, proved the difference between the two clubs.

Ronaldo’s next outing with Al-Nassr will come in the 2022 Saudi Super Cup in midweek, when his new side meet Al-Ittihad in Riyadh. The winner of that encounter will then face either Al-Fayha or Al-Hilal in the final on Sunday, which could offer Cristiano his first piece of silverware since winning the 2021 Coppa Italia with Juventus.