Cristiano Ronaldo: Struggling In the Desert
Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time world footballer, has left the big stages of Madrid and Manchester for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. The move came at the beginning of the year after he terminated his contract with Manchester United. For an annual salary of 200 million euros, Ronaldo plays before only 25,000 spectators in Msool Park, which is a significant drop from the massive stadiums he used to play in.
In a recent match against Abha, Ronaldo’s team won 3-1 in the quarterfinals, but the Portuguese player was unable to make much of an impact on the game. His performance on the field leaves much to be desired, with his club’s level of play being deemed somewhere between second and third-rate.
Despite his lackluster display, Ronaldo was often the only player receiving enthusiastic support from the fans. In a stadium filled with traditional thawb-wearing spectators, the children were the only ones sporting Ronaldo jerseys.
The game itself had a relatively low and subdued energy, with fans only becoming excited when the ball was in Ronaldo’s possession. The rest of the time, the atmosphere was reminiscent of a district league game.
The match’s most memorable moment was when Ronaldo received a yellow card for throwing the ball away in frustration after the half-time whistle took away his chance to score. This moment summed up Ronaldo’s struggles in the desert – a highly-paid world star who seems to be struggling to find his form in a less prestigious league.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia is not working out to be the superstar dream team he may have hoped for. Nevertheless, Ronaldo has a competitive nature, and whether he is playing before tens of thousands of fans or before just a few thousand, his love for the game never fades.
