Is Cristiano Ronaldo playing for Al-Nassr against Celta Vigo tonight?
Cristiano Ronaldo could potentially feature for Al-Nassr against Celta Vigo in the friendly between the two clubs tonight (July 17).
Ronaldo, 38, has been undergoing a training program agreed upon by his Saudi Pro League club. He has only just returned for pre-season training with his teammates after his international commitments last month, per SportsMole.
The Portuguese icon was in the stands alongside new signing Marcelo Brozovic to watch Al-Nassr beat Farense 5-1 on Friday. The duo may appear against a Celta Vigo side that are now managed by Cristiano Ronaldo's former Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez.
This preseason fixture takes place at the Estadio Algarve in Portugal with a kickoff time of 9.30 PM local time / 1 AM IST. Ronaldo will be eager to get back on the pitch ahead of next season, which will see him joined in the Saudi Pro League by many familiar names.
The legendary forward arrived at Mrsool Park in January and his arrival has been the catalyst for plenty of high-profile names to join him in the Middle East. His former Madrid teammate Karim Benzema has joined Al Ittihad, while his Portugal teammate Ruben Neves has joined Al Hilal. The likes of N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Kouliably, Edouard Mendy, and Roberto Firmino have also arrived in the Saudi Pro League.
Cristiano Ronaldo's compatriot Luis Castro takes the reigns at Al-Nassr
Cristiano Ronaldo also has a new manager at Al-Nassr with his Portuguese compatriot Luis Castro being appointed last month. He has left his role as coach of Brazilian outfit Botafogo to replace Rudi Garcia at Mrsool Park.
The Portuguese tactician will look to ease Ronaldo back into action over the coming weeks. He will almost certainly feature in friendlies against Benfica on July 20, Paris Saint-Germain on July 25, and his former club Juventus two days later.
Castro has previously won the Ukrainian league title with Shakhtar Donetsk and the Qatari Cup with Al-Duhail SC. He is tasked with overseeing a more credible title challenge from Al-Nassr after Ronaldo's club finished second last season.