Cristiano Ronaldo is due to start with Al Nasr on January 22.

Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start the Saudi Arabian Football League with Al Nasr on January 22, according to information provided to AFP by a source close to the Saudi club. The 37-year-old Portuguese striker will be able to join his new club, which has terminated the contract of Cameroonian Vincent Abubacar to meet the maximum number of foreign players set by the Saudi Federation. Thus, he will be able to play his first meeting with his new club on January 22 at home against Ettifaka.

“Al-Nasr terminated Vincent Abubakar’s contract by mutual agreement and he received all the financial compensation he was entitled to,” a source close to the Saudi club said. However, Ronaldo fails to appear on the score sheet for next Friday’s match against Al Tai, which will result in him being suspended. In fact, the striker has to serve out a two-leg ban imposed in November while still playing for Manchester United in the English league. He was supposed to serve it after the match against Al Tai and then Al Shabab on 14 January. The source, however, did not confirm the departure of 30-year-old Abubakar to Manchester United, saying that he is now free and can negotiate with any club.

Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the Ballon d’Or, has signed a contract with the Saudi club until 2025 worth around 200 million euros over the life of the contract. Cristiano Ronaldo, who was greeted by 25,000 spectators at Riyadh’s Mrsul Park stadium on Tuesday, said his arrival at the Saudi club did not mean the end of his career, but a new stage in his pursuit of records. His arrival is part of the desire of the kingdom’s authorities to boost the prestige of the Saudi Arabian championship, while neighboring Qatar has just hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Saudi Arabia, in particular, may submit a joint candidacy with Greece and Egypt to host the World Cup. Cup 2030.