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☆ Jordan Henderson: After six months in Saudi Arabia, England international has returned to European soccer
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Soccer player Jordan Henderson has announced that he is returning to Europe to join Ajax, six months after making a controversial move to Saudi Arabia. Henderson makes a pass during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Ettifaq and Al Ittihad in November. Yasser Bakhsh/Getty ImagesHenderson’s move from Liverpool to Al-Ettifaq came under scrutiny given the midfielder’s previous support of LGBTQ rights. But in moving to Saudi Arabia – where same-sex sexual activity is an offense, according to Human Rights Watch – Henderson attracted criticism from LGBTQ campaign groups and the wider soccer community. He made 17 league appearances during his six months with Al Ettifaq, which is managed by Liverpool great Steven Gerrard.

Persons: Jordan Henderson, “, I’ve, Ettifaq, Samer Al Misehal, ”, “ Jordan, he’d, Saad Allazeez, Henderson, Al Ettifaq, Yasser Bakhsh, – Henderson, ” Henderson, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Steven Gerrard Organizations: CNN — Soccer, Ajax, England, Saudi Pro League, Al, Twitter, Jordan, ESPN, SPL, Stonewall, Saudi Arabia –, Human Rights, Liverpool, Athletic, Champions League, Premier League Locations: Europe, Saudi Arabia, Al Ittihad, Liverpool, Al

☆ Saudi Arabia's soccer dream suffers a setback with high-profile departure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jordan Henderson acknowledges the crowd after the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Ettifaq and Damak at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium on Sept. 2, 2023 in Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia. England international Jordan Henderson abruptly ended his playing time in Saudi Arabia's Pro League, dealing a blow to the kingdom's ambitious plans to make its domestic league an international soccer hub. Former Liverpool captain Henderson on Thursday signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Dutch side Ajax shortly after the 33-year-old agreed to mutually terminate his contract with Saudi Arabia's Al-Ettifaq. Henderson's U-turn on playing in the Saudi Pro League comes six months after his controversial decision to sign with the club. Henderson's hasty exit from Saudi Arabia marks the end of "a miserable episode in a previously exemplary career," according to BBC Sport's chief soccer writer, and raises questions about both the midfielder's reputation as well as the image of the Saudi Pro League.

Persons: Jordan Henderson, Prince Mohamed bin Fahd, Henderson, Saudi Arabia's, Henderson's, Al Ettifaq Organizations: Saudi Pro League, Al, England, Saudi Arabia's Pro League, Liverpool, Dutch, Ajax, Saudi, BBC Locations: Prince, Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia

☆ Sterling misses out on England selection again
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Chelsea forward Raheem Sterling was again left out by England manager Gareth Southgate as he named his squad for the forthcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. Sterling, who has earned 82 caps for his country and was once a key part of Southgate's forward line, has now missed five successive England squads. Despite Southgate saying the door remains open, time is clearly running out for Sterling to force his way back into the reckoning for the Euro 2024 finals. Manchester City's John Stones misses out because of injury while Chelsea's Reece James is also not included despite recently returning from a lengthy injury lay-off. "I'm super excited about the tournament, we're really gearing towards the next tournament and I think everybody in international football is always living from tournament to tournament.

Persons: Raheem Sterling, Gareth Southgate, Sterling, Southgate, Raheem, we've, Eddie Nketiah, Callum Wilson, Aston, Ollie Watkins, Manchester City's John Stones, Chelsea's Reece James, Reece James, that's, Sam Allardyce's, Sam Johnstone, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale, Levi Colwill, Lewis Dunk, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire, Fikayo, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander, Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, James Maddison, Marcus Rashford, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Chelsea, Malta, Italy, Newcastle United, Manchester, Wembley, Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester United, Milan, Manchester City, West Ham United, Bayern, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Thomson Locations: England, North Macedonia, France, Germany, Malta, Crystal, Everton, Chelsea, Manchester, Liverpool, Real Madrid, West, Bayern Munich

☆ Henderson remains committed to England despite Wembley boos
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Henderson was named skipper with Harry Kane rested and the 33-year-old, who has joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq, played for 62 minutes before being taken off at Wembley. Henderson moved to the Saudi Pro League from Liverpool on a three-year deal in July. The switch to Saudi Arabia, where homosexuality is illegal, made headlines as Henderson has long been a vocal supporter of the LGBT community. Henderson acknowledged the reactions to his move to Al-Ettifaq, saying: "I look at it from a different point of view, obviously. It was a good tournament, I think the fans enjoyed the tournament and I think Saudi would be no different.

Persons: Jordan Henderson, Henderson, Harry Kane, Ettifaq, I've, Tommy Lund, Ken Ferris Organizations: Australia, Saudi, Wembley, Saudi Pro League, Liverpool, Sky Sports, England, Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Qatar, Thomson Locations: England, Saudi Arabian, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Italy, Gdansk

Meanwhile, failed uprisings in Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia were followed by years-long crackdowns and a continuing civil war in Syria. “What we’re beginning to see in Saudi Arabia right now is the emergence of a new social contract. Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest exporter of crude oil, and nearly two-thirds of its income still comes from selling fossil fuels. If Saudi Arabia can become a hub for major sporting events, then that’s a way of attracting interest to the country,” said Maguire. In response to previous criticism about Saudi Arabia’s purported “sportswashing,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said: “People that don’t know Saudi Arabia, have never been to Saudi Arabia, go out and talk about it as if they’ve lived there for 30 years, 40 years.

Persons: Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, Germain, Neymar Jr, Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Patricia de Melo Moreira, it’s, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman –, Leon Neal, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Al Hilal, spender, –, Carlo Nohra, Jordan Henderson, Henderson, “, ’ ” Simon Chadwick, “ We’ve, ” Chadwick, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Al Nassr, Stringer, you’re, Kieran Maguire, they’re, Everybody’s, ” Maguire, Chadwick, Ronaldo, Maguire, … Mohammed bin Salman, ” James Dorsey, ”, Chadwick –, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al, Faisal, don’t, they’ve, LIV Golf, Jimmy Dunne, LIV, Dunne, Aleksander Ceferin, Erling, Haaland, Jurgen Klopp, Michael Emenalo, Steven Gerrard, Nohra, ” “ They’ve Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Al, Paris Saint, PSG, Saudi Pro League, Ligue, Liga, Serie, Bundesliga, English Premier League, Deloitte, Investment Fund, AFP, Getty, SPL, Saudi Crown, Spanish, Arsenal, CNN Sport, English, Newcastle United, Liverpool, The Athletic, SKEMA Business School, Argentina, Zamalek, King Fahd Sports City, Anadolu Agency, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Football, AFC Asian, FIFA, Greece, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Spanish Super, ”, Amnesty International, Amnesty, Middle East Soccer, Saudi Ministry, Sport, PGA Tour, European, UEFA, Premier League, Ettifaq Media, Reuters New Saudi Pro League, Major League Soccer, La Liga, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Investigations, PGA Locations: Saudi Arabian, Brazil, Saudi, Ittihad, Al, Ahli, Real Madrid, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Liverpool, China, Qatar, Taif, Egypt, Spanish, East, North Africa, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria, “, ”, Europe, ” Liverpool

☆ The Premier League is missing key players like Cristiano Ronaldo and N'Golo Kanté. They've left for the Saudi Pro League.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Will Gendron | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The English Premier League kicked off this month without key players like Cristiano Ronaldo and N'Golo Kanté. They have opted to join the Saudi Pro League instead, which has been poaching the world's best players. They've joined the dozens of players flocking to the Saudi Pro League in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Pro League clubs are also targeting high-profile managers in their push to develop the sport in the country. "Something new is obviously happening" in regards to the Saudi Pro League, Richard Masters, the CEO of the Premier League, told the BBC last month.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, N'Golo Kanté, Jordan Henderson, Riyad, Rúben Neves, They've, Neymar, Getty, Michael Reaves, Rumblings, Ronaldo, Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, phenom, Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané, Steven Gerrard, Shaun Botterill, doesn't, Nuno Espírito Santo, LIV, Richard Masters Organizations: English Premier League, Saudi Pro League, Premier League, Eastern, BBC, Investment Fund, Guardian, Saudi, Al, He'll, Chelsea, France, ESPN, Forbes, Paris Saint Germain, Boeing, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Scottish, Rangers, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Saudi Public Investment Fund Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Hilal, Paris, Brazil, Barcelona, Real Madrid, France

☆ Factbox: Saudi transfers this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Saudi clubs have spent over 750 million euros ($813.45 million)in the close season signing players with the new Saudi Pro League season having kicked off on Aug. 11. Following are the main clubs' recent large purchases:Al-Ittihad (manager: Nuno Espirito Santo since 2022)N'Golo Kante from Chelsea. (40 million pounds)Al-Ahli (manager: Matthias Jaissle since 2023)Edouard Mendy from Chelsea. (40 million euros)Otavio from Porto. (40 million euros)Malcom from Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Persons: Nuno Espirito, N'Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, Matthias Jaissle, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Mahrez, Allan Saint, Franck Kessie, Roger Ibanez, Merih Demiral, Luis Castro, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, Seko, Sadio Mane, Jorge Jesus, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic, Savic, Malcom, Yassine Bounou, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Steven Gerrard, Moussa Dembele, Jack Hendry, Jordan Henderson, Tommy Lund, Ken Ferris, Ed Osmond, Toby Davis Organizations: Saudi Pro League, Nuno Espirito Santo, Manchester City, AS Roma, Atalanta, Inter Milan, Manchester United, RC Lens, Bayern Munich, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Paris St Germain, Fulham, Olympique Lyonnais, Club Brugge, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Ittihad, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Celtic, Liverpool, Al, Ahli, Manchester, Newcastle, Barcelona, Porto, Hilal, Lazio, Paris, Sevilla, Gdynia

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo scores two goals to lead Al-Nassr to first Arab Club Champions Cup title
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to help Al-Nassr secure the first Arab Club Champions Cup title in the club’s history. Al-Nassr had to come from a goal behind against fellow Saudi club Al-Hilal to lift the trophy, eventually winning 2-1 after a tense period of extra time. The Arab Club Champions Cup features the biggest clubs from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Iraq, and Ronaldo finished as the tournament’s top scorer with six goals in six games. Al-Nassr won the Arab Club Champions Cup for the first time. The 38-year-old said in June that any new signings for Saudi clubs would be “very welcome” to join him in the league.

Persons: CNN — Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Michael, Ronaldo’s, Nawaf Boushal, Ronaldo, Ettifaq, Yasser Bakhsh, Al Nassr, Karim Benzema, N’Golo, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, Marcelo Brozović Organizations: CNN, Arab, Saudi, Al, United Arab, Saudi Pro League, Manchester United Locations: Hilal, Al, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Portuguese

☆ Ronaldo wins first title at Al-Nassr with brace in Arab Club Champions Cup final
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 12 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo guided 10-man Al-Nassr to their first ever Arab Club Champions Cup title after scoring twice in a 2-1 extra-time win over fellow Saudi side Al-Hilal on Saturday. The tournament is played by top Arab clubs in the region and included teams from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. The star-studded Al-Nassr side had many chances to score in the first half with close season signings Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana and Marcelo Brozovic all denied by goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais. To rub salt into their wounds, the 27-year-old even produced the Ronaldo goal celebration as he ran to the corner flag and leapt into the air. Ronaldo then doubled the lead in the first half of extra time when he pounced on a rebound off the crossbar and headed home with the goalkeeper off his line.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Seko Fofana, Marcelo Brozovic, Mohammed Alowais, Hilal's Malcom, Michael, Sultan, Ghannam, Abdulelah Al, Amri, Nawaf Boushal, Angelica Medina, Rohith Nair Organizations: Saudi, Saturday, Saudi Pro League, United Arab, King Fahd Sports City, Portugal, Al, Thomson Locations: Al, Hilal, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Sultan Al, Mexico City, Bengaluru

CNN —With some of the world’s leading soccer players being tempted by the money on offer from Saudi Arabian soccer clubs, the Saudi Pro League’s (SPL) new Director of Football, Michael Emenalo, says the Gulf state is “disrupting the industry, but we are disrupting to enhance. We’re adding value to the industry.”The Saudi Pro League consists of 18 clubs, four of which are 75% owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) – one of the world’s top 10 sovereign wealth funds. Cristiano Ronaldo, N’golo Kanté, Riyad Mahrez and current Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema are just a few of players who have joined a variety of SPL clubs over the last few months. That’s true, but there is also a sensible, logical, thoughtful process to making the league better,” said the SPL’s new Director of Football. The new 2023/24 Saudi Pro League season begins on Friday, August 11, with Al-Ahli hosting Al-Hazm.

Persons: Michael Emenalo, Cristiano Ronaldo, N’golo, Riyad Mahrez, Ballon d’Or, Karim Benzema, Emenalo, Germain, Mbappé, Al Hilal’s, coy, ” Emenalo, Darren Lewis, “, that’s, he’s, Jurgen Klopp, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Al Ettifaq, Al Ittihad, ”, ” Michael Emenalo, Henderson, – it’s Organizations: CNN, Saudi Pro League’s, Football, Saudi Pro League, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Saudi, Al Hilal, Paris Saint, PSG, SPL, Liverpool, Saudi FA, Al Locations: Saudi Arabian, Gulf, France, Paris, Al Hilal, Saudi, Al, Liverpool, Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Mahrez, Ahli

☆ Saudi league set to kick off after raiding Europe's top clubs
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Shady Amir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Soccer Football - Opening of 2023-2024 Saudi Pro League - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - August 7, 2023 General view of the trophy at the opening of the Saudi Pro League Saudi Pro League Media Office/Handout via REUTERS/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - When the new Saudi Pro League season kicks off on Friday it will herald a new dawn for football in the Gulf kingdom which has spent close to half a billion dollars luring top players and coaches from traditional European powerhouses. Al-Ahli, in particular, are one of the few clubs that have benefited from the Saudi Public Investment Fund's (PIF) project to invest in and privatise clubs, which also include reigning champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. Saudi clubs spent nearly 450 million euros in the close season signing players, most from elite teams in Europe as the PIF created a blueprint for what football fans can expect in transfer windows to come. The league turned heads when Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr last season soon after the World Cup in a deal which made him the highest-paid athlete on the planet. The Portugal forward's move paved the way for more household names to sign up for a Saudi league that has increased its size from 16 teams to 18.

Persons: Hazm, Al, Riyad Mahrez, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Ronaldo's, Nuno Espirito, Karim Benzema, N'Golo, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, Mane, Luis Castro, Hilal, Jorge Jesus, Ruben Neves, Serbia's Sergei Milinkovic, Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly, Malcom, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Ettifaq, Gerrard, Henderson's, Shady Amir, Rohith Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer, Saudi Pro League, Saudi Pro League Saudi Pro League Media, REUTERS, Saudi Public Investment, Al, Champions, Saudi, Nuno Espirito Santo, Croatia, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Barcelona, Liverpool, Thomson Locations: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Al, Ahli, Ittihad, Hilal, Saudi, Europe, Portugal, Ballon, Senegal, Portuguese, Riyadh, England

☆ Frenchman Dembele signs for Al-Ettifaq
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26(Reuters) - French striker Moussa Dembele has joined Al-Ettifaq as a free agent following the expiry of his contract at Olympique Lyonnais, the Saudi Pro League club said on Wednesday. "Moussa Dembele, welcome to Al-Ettifaq," the club posted on messaging platform X, previously known as Twitter. Dembele proved to be a sensation in the Scottish league after signing for Celtic in 2016, helping them to back-to-back treble titles. Following Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr in December, several big names have been linked with the Saudi Arabian Pro League. Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City and Tommy Lund in GdanskOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Moussa Dembele, Dembele, Jack Hendry, Cristiano Ronaldo's, Nassr, Angelica Medina, Tommy Lund Organizations: Olympique Lyonnais, Saudi Pro League, Scottish, Celtic, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, Ligue, Scotland, Belgian, Club Brugge, Saudi Arabian Pro League, Thomson Locations: Mexico City, Gdansk

☆ Henderson bids farewell to Liverpool after 12 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - Midfielder Jordan Henderson said farewell to Liverpool fans in a video posted on social media on Wednesday, confirming his departure from the club after 12 years ahead of a reported move to Saudi Arabia's Al-Ettifaq. The former Liverpool captain will join the Saudi Pro League after Al -Ettifaq paid a fee estimated at 13 million pounds ($16.77 million), according to reports. "It's hard to put these last 12 years into words and it's even harder to say goodbye," the 33-year-old wrote on his Instagram account. He also captained Liverpool to the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup titles. Henderson will reunite at Al-Ettifaq with former Liverpool team mate Steven Gerrard, who was appointed as a coach on a three-year contract earlier this month.

Persons: Jordan Henderson, Saudi Arabia's, Ettifaq, You'll, Henderson, Juergen, Steven Gerrard, Janina Nuno Rios, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Liverpool, Saudi Pro League, Al, Sunderland, England, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Anfield, Mexico City

☆ Jordan Henderson looks set to join a Saudi Arabian club. Once seen as an ally for LGBTQ groups, his move has drawn criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Thursday, the BBC reported that Liverpool had agreed to Henderson joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq in a £12 million ($15.4 million) transfer. Liverpool and Al-Ettifaq did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment on Henderson’s widely reported impending transfer. Except Henderson’s transfer has attracted more scrutiny than those other players who have moved to Saudi Arabia. Henderson wears a rainbow captain's armband in support of the Rainbow Laces campaign during a match. The country regularly receives criticism for its treatment of LGBTQ people, women and migrant workers, as well as its human rights record.

Persons: Jordan Henderson’s, He’s, Jürgen Klopp’s, Henderson, Ettifaq, Ballon d’Or, Karim Benzema, N’Golo, Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino –, Laurence Griffiths, ‘ Football Ally, Mr Henderson, ” “, ’, 3LionsPride, “, Robbie de Santos, Jordan Henderson, ” De Santos, ” Organizations: CNN, England, Liverpool, English Premier League, Champions League, BBC, Saudi Arabian, Saudi Professional League, Stonewall, ‘ Football, Human Rights, Ukraine, Twitter, LGBT, CNN Sport, Communications, Affairs Locations: Saudi Arabia, Dammam, Al, Saudi, England

☆ Gerrard says not taking up Saudi coaching offer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 20 (Reuters) - Steven Gerrard said he had decided against taking up an offer to coach in Saudi Arabia following reports the former Liverpool captain was considering an offer to become coach of Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq. "I was invited over there to look at a potential offer, which I did," the former England captain told Channel 4. But, as we stand right now, I won't be taking that offer up." Several high-profile names have been linked with moves to Saudi Arabia in recent months after Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Al-Nassr in December. Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Steven Gerrard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Peter Rutherford Organizations: Liverpool, Saudi Pro League, Al, Rangers, Scottish, Aston Villa, Channel, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, England, Bengaluru

☆ Ronaldo's first season in Saudi Arabia ends with injury
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 1 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo missed the final matchday of the Saudi Pro League due to injury as his Al-Nassr team finished their season with 3-0 victory over Al-Fateh on Wednesday. The Portuguese forward decided not to sit on the bench for the frustrating end to his first season in Saudi Arabia after joining Al-Nassr in January on a contract estimated by the media to be worth more than 200 million euros ($213.5 million). The 38-year-old ended up with 14 goals in 16 matches, having played every minute of every league game barring a 1-1 draw with Al-Ettifaq last month, when he was taken off in the 84th minute, and Wednesday's final match. Al-Nassr failed to win any titles this season and finished the league in second place, five points behind the champions Al-Ittihad. Reporting by Osama Khairy and Ahmed Mostafa- Editing by Nick Mulvenney, Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Cristiano Ronaldo, Fateh, Nassr, Ettifaq, Osama Khairy, Ahmed Mostafa, Nick Mulvenney, Robert Birsel Organizations: Saudi Pro League, Al, Thomson Locations: Al, Portuguese, Saudi Arabia, Ittihad

☆ Ronaldo ends disappointing debut season in Saudi empty-handed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Osama Khairy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 28 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr could not resist the temptation to sign five-times Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in January, but although the prolific Portuguese forward scored an impressive number of goals, they finished the season empty-handed. Ronaldo's hopes of silverware ended on Saturday as Al-Ittihad clinched the league title for the first time since 2009 with one match to spare. The first trophy to slip from his grasp was the Saudi Super Cup when his team lost 3-1 to Al-Ittihad in the semi-finals in January. Al-Nassr suffered a heavy blow in the league race title on March 9 when they lost 1-0 to Al-Ittihad, Brazilian Romarinho scoring the winning goal and overshadowing Ronaldo. That left the 38-year-old Ronaldo's hopes of winning a trophy dependent on Al-Ittihad stumbling in the league and that did not happen.

☆ Ronaldo, Messi roll back the years in nine-goal thriller
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Both teams kept their foot on the gas in the second half, but Ekitike's 78th-minute strike eventually made the difference on the night. Played through on goal by Neymar, Messi was able to poke the ball past goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Owais, who he last faced in Saudi Arabia's shock World Cup win over Argentina in November. Despite going behind early, the Riyadh Season Team - a combined Saudi Pro League XI featuring players from Al Nassr and Al Hilal - had numerous chances. Ronaldo was an ever-present threat and won a penalty when goalkeeper Keylor Navas clattered into him. It was Mbappe's last contribution, as he was taken off shortly after, along with team mates Messi and Neymar, as well as Ronaldo.

☆ Ronaldo-Messi rivalry set for new chapter in Riyadh
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Manasi Pathak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The highly anticipated showdown, which will take place at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh, reportedly had more than two million online ticket requests. The bidding for a VIP "Beyond Imagination" ticket to the match has already topped 10 million riyals ($2.66 million) in an auction that is set to end later on Tuesday. While Thursday's friendly will be Ronaldo's first in Saudi Arabia, the 37-year-old's first competitive appearance will come in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq. French newspaper L'Equipe reported on Monday that PSG will earn just over 10 million euros for the game. ($1 = 3.7556 riyals)($1 = 0.9247 euros)Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ronaldo to make Saudi debut in friendly against PSG
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Soccer Football - Al Nassr unveil new signing Cristiano Ronaldo - Mrsool Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 3, 2023 New Al Nassr signing Cristiano Ronaldo during training REUTERS/Ahmed YosriJan 16 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play in Saudi Arabia for the first time since joining Al Nassr after he was named as captain of Riyadh ST XI for an exhibition match against Lionel Messi's Paris St Germain, officials announced on Monday. The 37-year-old Portuguese will lead the team made up of players from Saudi sides Al Hilal and Al Nassr against Messi's PSG in what will be the latest chapter of the celebrated global soccer rivalry. The highly anticipated showdown, which reportedly had more than 2 million online ticket requests, will take place in Riyadh on Thursday. Ronaldo missed the first two domestic games for Al Nassr after being suspended by England's Football Association for knocking a phone out of a fan's hand in April. Ronaldo is set to make his first competitive appearance in the Saudi Pro League on Sunday when Al Nassr host Al Ettifaq.

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