‘Historic Moment’: Saudis Flock to Buy Ronaldo Shirts after Al Nassr Deal 

A staff member heat presses an Al Nassr football jersey with Cristiano Ronaldo's surname on the back, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 31, 2022. (Reuters)
A staff member heat presses an Al Nassr football jersey with Cristiano Ronaldo's surname on the back, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 31, 2022. (Reuters)
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‘Historic Moment’: Saudis Flock to Buy Ronaldo Shirts after Al Nassr Deal 

A staff member heat presses an Al Nassr football jersey with Cristiano Ronaldo's surname on the back, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 31, 2022. (Reuters)
A staff member heat presses an Al Nassr football jersey with Cristiano Ronaldo's surname on the back, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 31, 2022. (Reuters)

Only hours after Cristiano Ronaldo penned a two-year contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr, crowds flocked to a football kit store in Riyadh to buy the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's new club jersey. 

Abdulmohsen al-Ayyban, 41, and his nine-year old son, Nayef, were among those queueing at Al Nassr club's official kit store on Saturday where clerks were busy pressing Ronaldo's name onto t-shirts. 

"We are witnessing a historic moment," al-Ayyban told AFP of the deal which he believes "will elevate the Saudi football league". 

Ronaldo on Friday signed for Al Nassr until June 2025.

A wide smile stretched across Nayef's face as he proudly held his new jersey aloft. 

For the young Saudi, a dream has come true.  

"I have always wanted Al Nassr to acquire the best player in the world," he said. "I will make sure to watch all his games at the stadium."  

Ronaldo, 37, is expected to appear before fans next Thursday, an official from the Al Nassr club told AFP. 

The deal further fueled national fervor that spiked after the Kingdom defeated eventual winners Argentina in the early stages of the 2022 World Cup, a victory hailed as one of greatest shocks in the tournament's history. 

An unprecedented rush at the Al Nassr kit store started as soon as reports of the deal were leaked to the local press on Friday night -- hours before the official announcement.  

Abdulqader, the store manager said queues snaked all the way outside the shop and have only grown since.  

T-shirt stocks have nearly emptied, pushing customers to bring in their own to have the player's name printed on them -- a process which will take up to two days.  

"I have never seen anything like this in my life," Abdulqader told AFP.  

Social media explosion

Inside the store, a festive mood prevailed, as Lebanese, Egyptian and Chinese nationals bolstered the massive number of Saudis hoping to get their Ronaldo merch. 

"I have been a fan of Ronaldo since I was a child and now the Saudi club I support has bought him... my joy is doubled," said Saudi university student Mohammad al-Johni, decked out in the Al Nassr club's official shirt.  

"I will be the first person attending his welcoming ceremony," the 23-year-old added.  

Rakan Mohammad, a 21-year-old university student, echoed the excitement.  

"The deal confirms the value of the Al Nassr club," he said. "Enthusiasm and expectations are high." 

On social media networks, Al Nassr's channels saw a major boost.  

Millions of new users followed the club's Instagram page, bringing the total tally to nearly 4 million, up from around 800,000 prior to the announcement.  

"The impact of the deal has already been felt, even before Ronaldo arrives in Saudi Arabia," Ahmed Al-Zabani, a 19-year-old Saudi university student told AFP.  

"The impact will continue to grow in the days to come". 

Many Saudis took to social media to praise the move. 

"The dream has become a reality," read an Instagram post by a shop printing Ronaldo t-shirts in the colors of the Al Nassr team. 

The comments quickly flooded in with customers requesting shirts in their size. 

"A picture for the history books," wrote one Saudi user on Twitter, captioning an image of Ronaldo holding up his Al Nassr jersey.  

Ronaldo heads to the Gulf after a year that saw him relegated to the bench for Portugal and cut adrift by Manchester United.  

United parted ways with the Portuguese star after the veteran forward gave an explosive TV interview in which he said he felt "betrayed" by the club and had no respect for coach Erik ten Hag.  

United terminated his contract while Ronaldo was with Portugal at the World Cup. 



Verstappen Not Happy with Tsunoda-Lawson Red Bull Swap

Max Verstappen tells reporters at Suzuka that it was "not a mistake" that he put a "like" on a social media post criticizing Red Bull's driver switch. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Max Verstappen tells reporters at Suzuka that it was "not a mistake" that he put a "like" on a social media post criticizing Red Bull's driver switch. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
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Verstappen Not Happy with Tsunoda-Lawson Red Bull Swap

Max Verstappen tells reporters at Suzuka that it was "not a mistake" that he put a "like" on a social media post criticizing Red Bull's driver switch. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Max Verstappen tells reporters at Suzuka that it was "not a mistake" that he put a "like" on a social media post criticizing Red Bull's driver switch. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP

Max Verstappen confirmed Thursday he was unhappy with Red Bull's ruthless driver swap for the Japanese Grand Prix, saying his endorsement of a social media post criticizing the move "speaks for itself".

The four-time world champion has a new teammate at Suzuka after Yuki Tsunoda replaced the underperforming Liam Lawson two weeks into the Formula One season.

Red Bull have been criticized for not giving Lawson enough time, with former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde saying on social media that the move was "bullying, or a panic move".

Verstappen put a "like" on Van der Garde's post and told reporters that it was "not a mistake".

"I liked the comment, the text, so I guess it speaks for itself, right?" Verstappen said at the Suzuka Circuit,

"Everything has been shared with the team, how I think about everything.

"Sometimes it's not necessary to always share and say everything in public. I think it's better."

Lawson had been promoted from Red Bull's sister team RB at the end of last season and now returns, with Tsunoda going the other way, AFP said.

Lawson's two races for Red Bull, in Melbourne and Shanghai, were at tracks on which he had never raced before.

"I think for rookies, always at the beginning of the season, you have the calendar nowadays, and F1 is very tough," said Verstappen.

"Because most of the tracks, they haven't really driven on, or they maybe have a sprint weekend.

"So all these scenarios, they don't help."

Verstappen is second in the drivers' championship, eight points behind Lando Norris of McLaren, after finishing second in Australia and fourth in China.

McLaren won both GPs and clearly have a performance edge over a Red Bull regarded as tricky to drive, but Verstappen has won the Japanese Grand Prix for the last three years.

"I think our main issue is that our car is not where we want it to be," Verstappen said.

"I think everyone knows that within the team as well, and that's what I focus on, to be honest."