Cristiano Ronaldo sends message to Al-Nassr teammates on Instagram ahead of game against Al-Tai
Cristiano Ronaldo wished his Al-Nassr teammates luck as the Saudi Arabian side are set to take on Al-Tai FC in the Saudi Pro League.
There are multiple reasons why Ronaldo won't make his debut for Al-Nassr in this game. He is serving a two-game ban that was handed to him by the English FA for smashing an Everton fan's phone during Manchester United's Premier League away clash last season.
Also, the Portuguese forward hasn't been registered as a player for his new team yet. Rudi Garcia's team will need to remove a foreign player from their squad to comply with the league's rules and get a certificate of competence from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).
Ahead of Al-Nassr's game in Riyadh, Ronaldo sent a message to his teammates as he wrote on his Instagram Story:
"Good Luck Team."
The game was supposed to take place 24 hours prior but was postponed as heavy rain caused elictricity issues at the stadium.
Cristiano Ronaldo was recently given a warm welcome by his new club at his official unveiling. Fans filled Mrsool Park to see the Portuguese forward's grand unveiling ceremony.
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly had other options before joining Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo claimed during his first press conference as an Al-Nassr player that he had other options from across the globe. He told reporters (via GOAL):
"Nobody knows but I can say now that I had many opportunities in Europe, many clubs in Brazil, in Australia, in U.S. even in Portugal, many clubs tried to sign me, But I give credit to this club for the opportunity to develop not only the football but this amazing country. I know what I want and of course what I don't want as well."
His claims have now been backed up by journalist Ben Jacobs. He reported that the notion that Ronaldo was rejected by European clubs was not true.
Jacobs added that Ronaldo's astronomical wages didn't make him a feasible option for top European clubs. He further added that there were clubs that the 37-year-old was not interested in joining.
Jacobs also claimed that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has always been keen on a move to the Middle-East as it provides him with a clear career path after retiring from football.
EXCLUSIVE 
🚨 EXCLUSIVE 🚨
It's NOT true that a string of European clubs rejected Cristiano Ronaldo. His wages were too expensive for some teams, and others he wasn't interested in joining. https://t.co/maOp80tIJd