A club statement prior to kickoff confirmed that “due to heavy rain and weather conditions impacting the stadium’s electricity, we’ve been informed that tonight’s match against Al Tai is postponed for 24 hours.”
However, it’s worth noting that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was set to serve a two-match ban in England following the events where he broke an Everton FC fan’s phone back in August 2022. Hence, he will likely miss the postponed match against Al Tai, now scheduled to take place on Friday, January 6, and an away trip to Al Shabab.
Ronaldo’s most likely debut will be against Al-Ettifaq on January 22, 2023.
The Portuguese captain is set to receive a hefty paycheck of £172 million per year at the Saudi club; hence, they will want to start benefiting from his services as fast as possible.
His unveiling for the club on Tuesday attracted a crowd of more than 20,000 fans, which is a record for any player presentation in Asia.
The former Manchester United striker will be eager to get going among the goals to put behind the World Cup exit and the sight of his arch-nemesis Leo Messi being crowned champion.
His goals, experience, and influence are already being anticipated to be of huge value not only to Al-Nassr but to Saudi Arabia as a whole, which is looking to rival African outfit Morocco and others to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Ronaldo’s influence has also already seen Al-Nassr’s Instagram account gain about 10 million more followers in less than 5 days since the Portuguese marksman’s signing.
