Cristiano Ronaldo, a star for Al Nassr, has expressed happiness after his debut against Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday in a Saudi all-star exhibition game.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who posted on social media to share his delight at returning to competitive action, said he was glad to be back on the field and even happier to have scored in the thrilling 5-4 game. Additionally, he was named the game's Man of the Match.
"So delighted to be back on the field, and on the scoreboard!!" Ronaldo said in a post including images from the game, including one of him embracing longtime foe Lionel Messi. And it's good to run into some old pals!"
It was claimed on Thursday night that Kylian Mbappe, Ronaldo, and Messi all scored in the exhibition match between PSG and the Saudi team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which PSG won by only one goal.
After recovering from a hit to the face, Ronaldo scored twice for his Sauid-led squad.
In his first game after transferring to Saudi Arabia in a transaction reportedly for more than 400 million euros, Ronaldo, 37, was floored by PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas's flailing fist, but he blasted the resultant penalty and then added another in a 5-4 exhibition loss.
Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar all scored for Qatar-owned PSG, but Neymar missed a penalty, and at the hour mark, they all left the game, along with Ronaldo, who was playing for a combined Saudi team, leaving the four highest-paid athletes in the world to watch from the sidelines in Riyadh.
For the exhibition game in the Saudi capital, which took place only weeks after neighboring Qatar lavishly spent on the first World Cup on Arab territory, won by Messi's Argentina, there were players worth hundreds of millions of euros on display.
The 69,000-seat King Fahd Stadium was filled with spectators, including a Saudi real estate tycoon who paid $2.6 million at auction for a ticket that allowed him access to the players' locker rooms.
Ronaldo, a great player for Portugal, signed a two-year contract with a Saudi Arabian club for a total value of €200 million, including commercial bonuses.
The Portuguese captain left Manchester United after a contentious interview in which he harshly criticized the team, becoming a free agent.
The acquisition of the former Real Madrid great was referred to as "history in the making" by Al Nassr, a nine-time champion in the Saudi Pro League.
It was also reported earlier in January that Ronaldo's debut was delayed because the English Football Association forced him to serve a two-match suspension even after leaving Europe.
The FA launched an inquiry when Ronaldo accidentally smacked a fan's phone out of their hand during Manchester United's loss against Everton in April 2022, delaying his much awaited debut.
