Ronaldo ‘Happy’ in Saudi Arabia, Wants Other Top Players to Join Him

Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Nassr v Al Shabab - KSU Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 23, 2023 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Nassr v Al Shabab - KSU Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 23, 2023 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
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Ronaldo ‘Happy’ in Saudi Arabia, Wants Other Top Players to Join Him

Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Nassr v Al Shabab - KSU Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 23, 2023 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri
Soccer Football - Saudi Pro League - Al Nassr v Al Shabab - KSU Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - May 23, 2023 Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Ahmed Yosri

Cristiano Ronaldo said he is happy in Saudi Arabia and hopes other big-name players will follow him to the league for the next campaign.

Ronaldo signed a 2-1/2 year contract with Al Nassr, making his debut in January.

He scored 14 goals in 16 games but it was not enough to help his side win the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title, with Al Nassr finishing second behind Al Ittihad.

The 38-year-old, who missed the final matchday due to injury, said the league was very competitive but that there were many opportunities to grow.

"We have very good teams, very good Arab players, but the infrastructure - they need to improve a little bit more."

"But I'm happy here, I want to continue here, I will continue here," he added, Reuters reported.

Ronaldo said he had adapted to life at the club, though there were many differences from his time at Europe.

"In Europe we train more in the morning and here we train in the afternoon, or night. When you start Ramadan, we train at 10 o'clock in the night." he added.

Since Ronaldo's arrival, several other top players have been linked with a move to the Saudi league, with Lionel Messi receiving a formal offer to join Al-Hilal next season.

Ronaldo's former team mate and Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema has reportedly received an offer worth more than 100 million euros from Al Ittihad.

"If they are coming, big players and big names, young players, 'old players', they are very welcome," said Ronaldo.

"If that happens, the league will improve a little bit. Age is not important."



Saudi Arabia’s Nouf Al-Marwaai Appointed President of Asian Yoga Sports Federation

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi Arabia’s Nouf Al-Marwaai Appointed President of Asian Yoga Sports Federation

The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat
The Saudi flag. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Asian Yoga Sports Federation unanimously appointed President of the Saudi Yoga Committee Nouf Al-Marwaai as its new president for the upcoming term, with support from representatives of 15 countries.

Al-Marwaai expressed her pride and gratitude for the support shown by the federation members at its sixth general assembly meeting held in Dubai this week.

"The unanimous support and trust of the members in appointing me as the president of the Asian Yoga Federation reflect the prominent position Saudi Arabia holds in Asia across various sectors, including sports, which has seen significant strides and rapid progress recently,” she said.

She praised the substantial support Saudi sports receive from the country’s leadership, enabling many Saudis to take on key roles at regional and international levels.

As president of the federation, Al-Marwaai reiterated her commitment to promoting and expanding yoga across Asian countries and increasing the number of championships held in different regions to achieve the primary goal of making yoga accessible to people of all ages.

She also acknowledged the guidance and support of Minister of Sport and President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, which played a key role in her appointment to this position and in sustaining Saudi Arabia’s presence in various international forums.