Cristiano Ronaldo arrives at the Mrsool Park stadium in the Saudi capital Riyadh on January 3, 2023, ahead of his presentation as a player for Al-Nassr. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP)
Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo had a slight slip of the tongue after he accidentally mistook Saudi Arabia for South Africa during his presentation for Al-Nassr FC on Tuesday.
“It’s not the end of my career to come to South Africa (ie Saudi Arabia),” he told the media, while being introduced at the Riyadh club where thousands of fans celebrated his transfer for an estimated €200 million.
“That’s why I change, and to be honest, I don’t really care what people say.”
The error occurred during Ronaldo’s welcome press conference, which was broadcast around the world.
The South Africans were quick to come up with jokes afterwards, with one commenting tagging Premier Soccer League giants Orlando Pirates saying: “here’s a potential player.”
Another went a step further by superimposing a Kaizer Chiefs jersey on top of the superstar’s image.
READ | Ronaldo says he wants to break records in Saudi Arabia: “In Europe my job is done”
Ronaldo signed a huge deal estimated at 200 million euros ($211 million) after glittering spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
He insisted that the crash move did not spell the end of his career.
“In Europe my work is done… I had many offers in Europe, many in Brazil, Australia, the United States, even in Portugal,” he added. “Many clubs tried to sign me but I gave my word to this club,” she added.
– Additional information from AFP.
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