Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United on a free transfer.
Ronaldo left Old Trafford last month after an explosive television interview in which the 37-year-old striker said he felt betrayed by the club and had no respect for their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.
الرياضي الأعظـم عالميًا 🌏
يـوقع رسميًا لـ #العالمي 🤩#رونالدو_نصراوي pic.twitter.com/BBq469mAYh— نادي النصر السعودي (@AlNassrFC) December 30, 2022
Al Nassr has issued a statement saying the five-time Ballon D’or winner will finalize a deal until 2025, but did not disclose any financial details.
Media reports have claimed that the Portugal captain could earn up to $200 million a year from the deal, making him the highest paid footballer in history.
The Saudi Pro League club announced its arrival in a tweet that read: “The greatest athlete in the world has officially signed for Al-Nassr.”
“This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success, but also inspire our league, our country and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves,” the club wrote.
Ronaldo said in a statement that he was “eager to experience a new football league in another country”.
“I’m very lucky to have won everything I wanted to win in European football and now feel it’s the right time to share my experience in Asia,” the striker added.
Benzema plays for Real Madrid
Striker Karim Benzema sent Real Madrid to the top of La Liga with a second-half brace against Real Valladolid.
Ballon d’Or winner Benzema returned to the starting line-up after missing out on the World Cup for France, having suffered a major impacted thigh injury the day before the start.
That is it. That’s the picture. 💪 pic.twitter.com/cQAwMLEVgx
— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadrides) December 30, 2022
Real received a penalty for handball from Javi Sanchez in the 83rd minute. The decision sent the home side into a frenzy and Leon was sent off for dissent. Benzema converted with ease.
The unmarked Benzema then doubled Real’s lead in the 89th with a well-placed shot from inside the box following an assist from substitute Eduardo Camavinga.
Real is 38 points ahead of number two Barça, which hosts Espanyol on Saturday.
Liverpool beat Leicester City 2-1
Liverpool came from behind to beat Leicester City 2-1, but only after two disastrous own goals from visiting defender Wout Faes in their Premier League clash at Anfield on Friday.
The Belgium centre-back made a misclearance in the 38th minute to give Liverpool the equaliser, after Leicester took a surprising lead in the fourth minute through Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and put the ball back into his net on the stroke of half-time.
He became only the fourth player to score two own goals in the same game in the Premier League.
It is now four consecutive league wins for Liverpool for the first time since April, bringing the team within two points of fourth-placed Tottenham. Leicester have now lost back-to-back games after the World Cup stoppage and remain just four points above the relegation zone.