So Happy To Be Back – Ronaldo Tweets After Netting Twice In First Match In Saudi
Sports Recorder
January 20, 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo was pleased to be back after making his first appearance since his blockbuster move to Saudi Arabia, as the country’s All-Stars team suffered a 5-4 defeat to PSG in a friendly.
The 37-year-old faced his competitive rival Lionel Messi in a mid-season friendly against the French champions, who took time out of their Ligue 1 campaign to travel to the Middle East.
Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr on a record-breaking deal worth £173million per year following his acrimonious exit from Manchester United, impressed by picking up man of the match and notching two goals.
Ronaldo has since taken to social media to share that he is pleased to be back out on the pitch for the first time since his big-money move.
He even posted a photograph of himself embracing Messi with a message to ‘old friends’ along with some action shots from the match as well as coming up against former Real Madrid team-mates Sergio Ramos and Keylor Navas.
Ronaldo tweeted: ‘So happy to be back on the pitch, and on the score sheet!! And nice to see some old friends.’
World Cup winner Messi also shared the embrace with Ronaldo on his Instagram after the match, therefore showing the respect that they both have for each other after years of battling it out at the top of the sport.
In the 11th minute, Ronaldo picked up the ball on the halfway line and cleverly nutmegged Carlos Soler, prompting a buoyant roar from the Saudi supporters.
He then found the net with a smart finish in the 34th minute from the penalty spot, cancelling out Messi’s third-minute penalty and giving the new kingdom a taste of what the Saudi Pro League is in for.
The Portuguese superstar was awarded the spot kick when he rose up above the defenders and was accidentally punched in the face by his former Real Madrid team-mate Keylor Navas.
The veteran netted again in stoppage time at the end of the first half before making way in the second.
Ronaldo has yet to feature for Al-Nassr due to a ban he picked up whilst at Manchester United.
