Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Saudi side Al-Nassr FC, according to the club.
The 37-year-old signs a two-and-a-half-year contract after leaving Manchester United last month.
This followed an explosive TV interview in which the striker said he felt betrayed by the club and disrespected their Dutch coach Erik ten Hag.
A statement on Al-Nassr’s Instagram reads: “This is more than history in the making.
“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success, but will also inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls, to be the best version of themselves.”
Ronaldo is expected to undergo a medical at Mrsool Park, Al-Nassr’s modern home, before completing formalities and being revealed to fans in the club’s yellow and blue colors in the Saudi capital Riyadh in the coming days.
“I can’t wait to experience a new football league in a different country. The vision of the Al-Nassr club is very inspiring,” the Saudi club quoted Ronaldo as saying.
While the signing is likely to be a huge boost for Middle Eastern football, it will also fuel debate over Saudi Arabia’s use of so-called ‘sportswashing’ to boost the country’s image in the international.
The World Cup in Qatar saw him score in Portugal’s first group game against Ghana, his 118th goal for his country, before being dropped from the starting XI for the round of 16, in which the team made a quarter-final exit with a 1-0 defeat against Morocco.
