Some of Cristiano Ronaldo’s American supporters who may have wanted the Portuguese player to move to MLS were upset by the player’s relocation to the Arabian peninsula.
This comes as the striker, who burned every bridge in his attempt to leave Manchester United in November, officially signed for Saudi Arabian team Al-Nassr on a contract worth $214 million annually.
That contract would be about equal to 54% of the value of the least expensive MLS team: CF Montreal, barring any other reasons why Ronaldo would decide against moving to the United States.
Additionally, it would surpass the previous record trade of $16 million set by Thiago Almada of Atlanta United.
After leaving United in the wake of his controversial and damaging interview with Piers Morgan, Ronaldo aged 37, became a free agent.
According to reports, Ronaldo’s contract is for three years. The Portuguese superstar is expected to play before accepting an ambassadorial position, and his salary would rise with time.
Fans immediately questioned why Ronaldo moved to the Middle East rather than looking for a place to play in Major League Soccer in the USA or even in Europe.
A Twitter user with the username “bobquinn7” stated that “Cristiano Ronaldo should have retired or stayed in Europe. He could not believe Ronaldo went to Saudi Arabia to continue his career.”
He should have at least gone to the MLS to play in America.
Another Twitter user tweeted that “Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia is a downgrade; he should have gone to either Italy or the USA.”
Another user claimed that “Ronaldo is so afraid to face Walker Zimmerman in the MLS.”
Another MLS fan tweeted, “Why didn’t Cristiano Ronaldo come to MLS?” The user was ready to buy his ticket whenever he played.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s career as a top-flight football player has practically come to an end after attempts to transfer to a Champions League club failed.
According to reports, one of his duties as an ambassador will be to support Saudi Arabia’s joint candidacy with Egypt and Greece to host the 2030 World Cup.
He joins opponent Lionel Messi in accepting a promotional job with the Gulf country, which has come under fire for its record on human rights issues as well as crackdowns on campaigners for women’s rights, the LGBTQ+ community, and those who oppose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s leadership.
One of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia is Al-Nassr, which has won the nation’s top division nine times, the most recent of which was in 2019.
Ronaldo first denied rumors that he had agreed to join the Saudi team, with sources close to the star telling Sportsmail that such rumors were “nonsense.”
Ronaldo acknowledged that the summer offer he turned down from an undisclosed Saudi Arabian club for two seasons was indeed worth €350 million (£310 million).
Ronaldo shocked United executives by telling the team he wanted to go during the summer transfer window, leading to links to Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, and Napoli.
With that agreement in place and Cristiano Ronaldo’s beginning a new stage of his career, a new hurdle has emerged. But it also means that he will be playing in a league that neither Americans nor Britons will be able to see.
There are some instances of US networks putting together agreements to carry professional sports rapidly, though.
Notably, ESPN obtained the rights to broadcast the Korean Baseball Organization on May 4, 2020, just one day before the start of the season. This happened during the epidemic.
Al-Nassr is currently lying in second place in the league with 23 points, just behind league leaders Al-Shabab.
