Cristiano Ronaldo dispelled any doubt about his commitment to playing in the Saudi Pro League.
“As I say so many times, I belong to Saudi Arabia,” Ronaldo said Saturday after scoring two goals for Al Nassr in a win over Al Hazem. “It’s a country that welcomed very well to me and my family and my friends. I’m happy here. I want to continue here.”
Ronaldo’s statements come after he was reportedly unhappy with the moves of his club during the winter transfer window compared to Al Hilal, another club owned by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
Al Hilal, who is second in the table to Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, acquired star Frenchman Karim Benzema earlier this month, one of several transfer signings. Al Nassr was behind Al Hilal in the standings when it announced the signing of Benzema.
The Portuguese forward missed two games earlier this month in protest.
He returned Feb. 14 after his demands were met by the PIF, including the return of Simão Coutinho as sporting director and José Semedo as CEO of Al Nassr. The suspension of the two executives in recent months reportedly angered Ronaldo.
“Back where we belong. Now back to work!” Ronaldo posted Saturday on his Instagram, the social media platform’s most-followed account.
Ronaldo left Manchester United to join Al Nassr in 2022, signing a two-and-a-half year deal with a base salary of $75 million. He signed a two-year extension in June.
