Home/Soccer

via Imago

via Imago

Cristiano Ronaldo & Al Nassr ended 2023 on a high. Al Alami sits just 6 points behind leader Al Hilal while CR7 finished as the top scorer in the calendar year. Luis Castro and Co. will kickstart 2024 with a friendly tour to China. Excitement is plenty, considering it’s the club’s first visit to the country. As per reports, the compensation involved is huge and Al Nassr could pocket a 7-figure revenue for just 2 matches! Not a bad deal at all, isn’t it?

Following the tour, the club will resume its league campaign against Al Fateh in January. With the Riyadh Season Cup on the horizon, Ronaldo & Co will want to be at their best against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the ‘Last Dance‘.

Everything you need to know about Al Nassr’s 10-day China tour

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The players have been given a 15-day break by coach Castro and will regroup on the 15th. The club will then depart to the ‘Land of the Red Dragon’ on the 19th. As per Al Riyadiah, the club will start the tour against Shanghai Shenhua on January 24. Then, on the 28th, they will be facing another Chinese side in Zhejiang Professional. Moreover, Al Nassr is set to receive a staggering $9 million which includes the amount for the matches and media meetings.

Watch this story: Meet the Legendary Tennis Player Who is 3x Richer than Cristiano Ronaldo

Fans will be disappointed to learn that Sadio Mane and Seko Fofana won’t be a part of the tour. The duo will be playing for Senegal and Ivory Coast respectively in the African Cup of Nations, which starts in January. However, Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo will feature and is undoubtedly the main attraction. The 5-time Ballon d’Or winner previously visited China in 2019 when he was a Juventus player. CR7 stole the show that time around as he vowed the crowd with a stunning free-kick against Inter Milan. It looks like he is keen to repeat his heroics this time around as well.

‘Al Nassr is coming’, Cristiano Ronaldo’s hype message to the fans

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The Saudi Pro League giants recently posted a video on X featuring the soccer icon with a message. In the video, CR7 can be seen saying, “Are you ready? Al Nassr is coming.” With more than 200 Million fans, soccer is immensely popular in China and is set to witness a massive positive surge in viewership.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

What made this tour possible was the winter break owing to the Asian Cup tournament in Qatar. The 24-team event is one of the most prestigious international soccer championships in the continent. Interestingly, Inter Miami & Lionel Messi were scheduled to visit China previously, but the plan was dropped. However, it seems like CR7 and co will more than make-up for that. Are you excited to watch Cristiano Ronaldo return to China? Tell us in the comments below.

Read More: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Set to Create Saudi Arabian History on Chinese Soil