Al-Nassr refuses to link Ronaldo deal to any World Cup bid

Riyadh, The Gulf Observer: Cristiano Ronaldo contract with Al-Nassr does not entail commitments to any World Cup bids, the Riyadh-based club said on Wednesday.

Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr recently in a striking deal in football history, made headlines all over the world in the past two weeks. He was accorded a grand welcome in the presence of a mammoth gathering of his fans and Al-Nassr officials at Mrsool Park in Riyadh on Jan. 3.

The Saudi club’s statement came to clarify that, contrary to news reports linking Ronaldo to a potential Saudi Arabian bid to host FIFA World Cup 2030, this is not the case.

“Ronaldo’s main focus is on Al-Nassr and to work with his teammates to help the club achieve success,” the statement said.

Saudi Arabia hosted several international sports tournaments and diversified entertainment events including Formula 1, football and heavyweight boxing title fights in recent years.

Saudi officials have repeatedly said the Kingdom does not intend to place an official bid to host the FIFA World Cup.

“Saudi Arabia is always considering hosting a number of large sporting events, as part of promoting sport and tourism in the Kingdom in line with Saudi Vision 2030,” the Ministry of Tourism said last November.