After becoming a symbol of its revolution on the international transfer scene, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo continues his mission as a goodwill ambassador for Saudi Arabian football by leading his team, Al-Nassr, on a friendly tour in Japan. On Tuesday, they will face Paris Saint-Germain, the French champions, in Osaka.
Ronaldo commented on the Japanese tour, saying, "We know that people are very excited about football in Japan, and we are here to contribute to the show." He added, "We have two big matches to play," referring to the other match his team will have against Italian side Inter, the former UEFA Champions League runners-up.
With a smile on his face and speaking in English at the press conference held at one of Osaka's hotels on Sunday, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner played his role as an ambassador and kindly answered questions from the invited children.
Indeed, the role of ambassador suits the former star of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus. Since his spectacular move in January, he has been the best promoter of the Saudi league, convincing many top stars to follow suit.
Ronaldo's arrival in the Saudi league opened the door for stars like his former Real Madrid teammate, French striker Karim Benzema, to join Al-Ittihad alongside his compatriot N'Golo Kanté, or Senegalese Khaledou Koulibaly and Serbian Sergej Milinković-Savić to wear Al-Hilal's jersey, or the other Senegalese Edouard Mendy to defend Al-Ahli's goal alongside Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino.
As Ronaldo's competitors rushed to sign major stars in sensational deals, Al-Nassr decided to strengthen its ranks and provide adequate support for Ronaldo by acquiring Croatian Marcelo Brozović and Ivorian Sékou Fofana.
"Back to the Starting Lineup for the National Team"
In an interview with the Saudi league website, Ronaldo said, "I am happy here, and I want to continue here, and I will continue here (with Al-Nassr). The Saudi league is strong, but there are many opportunities for growth. The league is competitive, and we have good teams, as well as Arab players, and I think the infrastructure needs improvement (in the league), including the referees, and the VAR should be faster."
"In my opinion, if (the league officials) continue to work on their plan in the next five years, I believe that the Saudi league will become one of the top 5 leagues in the world."
Since his arrival in a deal worth more than 200 million euros per year according to reports, Al-Nassr's Twitter followers increased from 800,000 to 4 million, and on Instagram, it surged from 2 million to over 14 million followers.
Thanks to his popularity, we are starting to see female fans in the stands after they were banned from attending matches just a few years ago.
Ronaldo left nothing to chance with Al-Nassr in his first season, despite scoring 14 goals in 16 matches, including a quadruple in his second match against Al-Wehda.
He commented on this to the Saudi league website, saying, "My expectations were somewhat different. Honestly, I expected to win one of the titles this year, but things don't always go as we wish. Sometimes we need patience, continuity, and perseverance to achieve the best, and we will improve a lot."
He added, "In the last 5 or 6 months, the team has improved a lot, and the league has improved as well, along with all the teams. Sometimes it takes some time, but if you believe in your goal, everything is possible, in my belief. I am very optimistic and confident that things will change for the better, so we must believe and work on that."
Despite some considering Ronaldo's move to the Saudi league as signaling the end of his international career, the new coach of "Seleção das Quinas," Spanish Roberto Martínez, decided to rely on him as a starter, allowing "CR7" to continue his hobby of breaking records.
In his 200th international match, Ronaldo scored the winning goal against Iceland (1-0) in the Euro 2024 qualifiers, bringing his tally to 123 goals with the national team.
"I Will Never Stop Coming Here (Portugal National Team)"
After the victory in Reykjavik, Ronaldo said, "I will never stop coming here (to the Portugal national team) because it is my eternal dream. Reaching 200 international matches is not something that anyone achieves. It shows the love I have for my country and our national team."
Regarding the upcoming season for Ronaldo and Al-Nassr, there are "a lot of goals. Of course, I want to win some titles this year."
After two days of facing Inter, Al-Nassr will start their season in the Arab Club Champions Cup against their Saudi neighbor, Al-Shabab.
While awaiting that, Ronaldo continues to manage his image, further solidifying his status with the audience. He recalled a story from one of his previous tours in the Land of the Rising Sun, where he is making his fifth appearance, when he was defending Real Madrid in 2014.
At that time, a young Japanese player named Ryouto Iwawaka asked him a question in Portuguese, causing a wave of laughter in the hall due to his imperfect language skills.
Ronaldo responded to those present, saying, "Why are you laughing? Why? He speaks Portuguese well! You should be happy because he made a great effort!"
However, this young man's effort was not limited to attempting to speak Portuguese; he was chosen as the best player in the top Japanese championship for under 18 years.
Ronaldo spoke about what Iwawaka achieved, saying, "I am very happy because this boy achieved what he wanted. As I always say, believe in your dreams because talent is not enough; you have to work."
He concluded by saying, "I am very happy that my words had an impact on this boy, and I hope that many children will succeed."
AFP