Cristiano Ronaldo scored on his first look of pre-season as Al-Nassr recovered from a defensive blunder to beat Toulouse in Austria.
Two-time Saudi Professional League prime scorer Ronaldo swept in from 20-year-old Brazilian Wesley’s right-wing cross after 33 minutes on the tiny Untersberg Area, the place team-mate Ayman Yahya’s air-kick after failing to cope with a bouncing ball on the midway line allowed Yann Gboho to burst by and slot within the opener for the Ligue 1 membership.
Ronaldo was substituted at half-time for defensive midfielder Abdullah Al-Khaibari. Fellow ahead Joao Felix, who joined from Chelsea for £43.7 million on Tuesday, was changed after 59 minutes by Saudi Arabia striker Mohammed Marran.
Enzo Faty headed in opposition to a put up for Toulouse 4 minutes later, and Marran headed the winner from Nawaf Boushal’s supply from the best with 14 minutes remaining.
Al Nassr vs Toulouse: Joao Felix debut
Joao Felix despatched an early shot broad after being teed up by former Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Southampton and Salzburg striker Sadio Mane.
The Portuguese was as soon as thought to be the world’s most fun younger participant after scoring 20 objectives in 43 video games in his debut season for Benfica, persuading Atletico Madrid supervisor Diego Simeone to pay £113million – the third-highest payment ever – for him.
Alongside an uneasy relationship with infamous taskmaster Simeone, the feeling struggled for type and health earlier than being loaned to Chelsea in January 2023.
A subsequent mortgage swap to Barcelona once more produced patchy type, inflicting cash-strapped Barca to resolve in opposition to making the deal everlasting, as an alternative signing Dani Olmo.
Atleti offered Joao Felix to Chelsea in alternate for England midfielder Conor Gallagher, with the then-Portugal worldwide valued at £45m in a deal doubtless linked to the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Guidelines.
Six months right into a seven-year deal at Stamford Bridge, Joao Felix started a mortgage spell at AC Milan that yielded a return of three objectives in 21 video games.
The 25-year-old will goal to attain his first non-competitive aim for his new membership when Al-Nassr go to Spanish aspect Almeria on August 10 (18:00 BST / 13:00 ET / 10:00 PT).
Cristiano Ronaldo: First season underneath Jorge Jesus
Ronaldo featured for the primary time since signing a contract extension to finish uncertainty over the talisman’s future on the finish of the 2024/25 season.
New supervisor Jorge Jesus began with a 5-2 win over Austrian membership SK St Johann on Saturday, when Ronaldo was rested after beginning pre-season coaching and Al-Nassr’s objectives got here from Mane, Abdulrahman Ghareeb, Mohamed Simakan, Abdulmajeed Al-Sulaiheem and an personal aim.
Jorge Jesus took cost earlier this month on a one-year contract. “With out his invitation, I definitely wouldn’t be there,” he mentioned of Ronaldo.
“The motivation might be nice. I’m going to attempt to make sure that Al-Nassr, which is without doubt one of the finest golf equipment in Saudi Arabia, can win titles.
The 70-year-old Portuguese gained the Saudi Professional League and King Cup with Al-Hilal in 2023/24.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is a participant who has all the time gained every thing he’s performed for,” added Jorge Jesus.
“He hasn’t gained in Saudi Arabia but. I’ll see if I will help him. We communicate the identical language, every thing is simple.”
Sadio Mane stats
Liverpool and Senegal icon Mane joined Al-Nassr from Bayern Munich in August 2023 on a reported tax-free wage of greater than £34m.
Now 33, Mane shared the Premier League Golden Boot and gained the Champions League in 2018/19, then gained the 2019/20 Premier League with the Reds.
He contributed 19 objectives and 11 assists in 46 appearances in all competitions in his first marketing campaign with Al-Nassr, then scored 18 and arrange 14 in 47 matches final season.
Cristiano Ronaldo contract
Regardless of top-scoring within the prime flight in every of his two seasons with Al-Nassr, who’ve colosssal monetary would possibly by the nation’s Public Funding Fund, Ronaldo is but to win the Saudi title.
Shortly after Al-Nassr completed third final season – 13 factors behind champions Al-Ittihad – Ronaldo appeared to strongly trace on social media that he had performed his last recreation for the membership.
He agreed a brand new contract precisely a month later, having scored in Portugal’s triumphant Nations League semi-final in opposition to Germany and last in opposition to Spain.
The five-time Champions League winner scored 35 objectives in 41 matches throughout all competitions for Al-Nassr in 2024/25.
Ronaldo weekly wage
On monetary web site Forbes’ all-time record of the best incomes athletes in a yr, solely boxer Floyd Mayweather eclipses Ronaldo, having pocketed an estimated $300m (£226m) in 2015 and $285m (£214.5m) in 2018.
Ronaldo was mentioned to have surpassed $1 billion (£771m) in profession earnings two years earlier than turning into essentially the most high-profile footballer to maneuver to Saudi Arabia.
Ronaldo’s first Al-Nassr deal was broadly reported to be price £14.75m a month or £3.4m per week. His annual wage was mentioned to be £177m per yr, made up of £62m for his soccer wage, supplemented by industrial bonuses.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has a wide range of profitable sponsorship offers, along with his current endorsements together with Whoop, online game UFL and cryptocurrency alternate Binance.
When does Ronaldo’s 2025/26 season begin with Al Nassr?
The 2025/26 Saudi Professional League season will begin in late August, with the fixtures but to be confirmed in late July. You’ll be able to control any bulletins right here.
Al-Ittihad, who’re managed by legendary defender Laurent Blanc, are the reigning champions, having completed eight factors above Al-Hilal and 13 forward of Al-Nassr final season.
