Cristiano Ronaldo will captain Al-Nassr for their Saudi Pro League home clash against Al-Shabab on Tuesday, May 23. Fans on Twitter wished Ronaldo and Al-Nassr luck after their lineup for the game at Al-Awwal Park was announced.
With a win against Al-Shabab, interim manager Dinko Jelicic's side can secure a top-two finish in the league and consequently, a spot in next season's AFC Champions League.
Al-Nassr are keen to give league leaders Al-Ittihad a run for their money in the title race. They have 60 points from 27 matches and are trailing Nuno Espirito Santo's team by three points. Al-Ittihad will face Al-Batin at the King Abdullah Sports City tonight.
After Al-Nassr's line-up was released, fans reacted on Twitter with one of them writing:
"Best of luck to Goat. Ronaldo."
Another claimed:
"Good luck guys please win this match for us ."
Ronaldo has been among the goals since joining Al-Nassr as a free agent. He has so far scored 13 goals and has provided two assists for the Saudi Pro League club. The Portuguese striker opened the scoring from the penalty spot when Al-Nassr defeated Al-Tai in their previous match.
Whether the 38-year-old can lead his team to a positive result against Al-Shabab remains to be seen. Here are some of the best Twitter reactions as Cristiano Ronaldo captains Al-Nassr for their Saudi Pro League clash:
Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr in December 2022 and earns around £173 million per year. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's move to the SPL side shocked fans as they expected him to continue in Europe.
The Riyadh-based team's president Musalli Al-Muammar recently discussed Ronaldo's contract. Speaking in a recent conference, he claimed that the deal goes beyond Ronaldo as a player. Al-Muammar said (via 9FCBall):
"We signed a contract with Cristiano Ronaldo not only as a player, but also got his own commercial rights, which will be activated after the end of the current season and will have an impact on the tourism side and others."
Al-Muammar added:
"Because of time pressure and the sports program, we were unable to show Al-Nassr's contract with Cristiano Ronaldo, and the Communication and Media Center at Al-Nassr Club is trying to work by sending simple messages."
Ronaldo's presence has given the club and the league great exposure. Al-Nassr's Instagram account has gained more than 13 million followers since the Portuguese forward was signed by the club. Moreover, Ronaldo has delivered on the pitch so far as well.
