After Cristiano Ronaldo Met With Gianni Infantino at Esports World Cup Launch, Neymar’s Al Hilal Gifts Memorabilia to FIFA President

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the top destinations for soccer players around the world. The clubs across the Middle Eastern country shelled out massive cash to lure some of the top players across Europe. Portuguese talisman Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as the face of the nation, with the country hoping to bag the rights to organize the 2034 World Cup. Saudi has been doing its best to impress FIFA, with Al-Hilal president Fahad bin Nafel presenting FIFA president Gianni Infantino with multiple gifts during their recent meeting.

Infantino and Ronaldo were present in Saudi Arabia for an Esports press conference, exchanging pleasantries. The player’s presence has helped Saudi Arabia boost its image as one of the top forerunners to host the 2034 World Cup. With Saudi Arabia willing to tick all the boxes, it will be interesting to see if they emerge victorious in their historic quest.

Al-Hilal president Fahad bin Nafel showers FIFA president with gifts

FIFA President Gianni Infantino turned up at Al-Hilal’s home ground during their recent AFC Champions League clash against Mumbai City FC. Infantino met up with the club’s president, Fahad bin Nafel, during half-time, with both parties having a brief conversation. Following their dialogue, the Al-Hilal president presented the FIFA president with a framed jersey alongside some memorabilia. The club posted the images from the meeting on their official Instagram account to create the buzz.

Al Hilal captioned it on Instagram by sharing a picture of the memorable occasion. They captioned it, “His Excellency President Fahad bin Nafel presented a souvenir gift and #Al_Hilal kits to FIFA President Gianni Infantino; between the half-time match of #Al_Hilal_Mumbai.”

Al Hilal was all over Mumbai City FC during the contest as they bashed their opponents 6-0. Aleksandar Mitrovic was on fire as he bagged a hat trick with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Mohammed Alburayk, and Abdulelah Almalki, also finding their names on the scoresheet.

Apart from his meeting with Fahad bin Nafel, the FIFA president was also at the sport for an Esports conference and engaged with Al Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo. Saudi Arabia expressed their desire to host the FIFA World Cup 2034 as the Middle East prepares for another World Cup bid. 

READ MORE: Why Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo’s Partnership for Esports World Cup 2024 Is Pivotal for Saudi Arabia?

Cristiano Ronaldo meets up with Gianni Infantino during the Saudi Arabia Esports conference

The summer transfer window saw a wave of European stars join the Saudi Pro League. With a successful World Cup 2022 hosted by Qatar, Saudi Arabia hopes to repeat the antics by bidding for the 2034 World Cup.

Saudi Arabia recently hosted the New World Sports Conference regarding the future of the Esports industry. They have led the way to becoming a leading contributor to the sector in the past few years. Some big names including soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, attended the event.

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The country hopes to capitalize on the popularity of the soccer stars playing in the Saudi Pro League. With Ronaldo and others backing the nation, Saudi could emerge as a soccer superpower in the coming years.