Cristiano Ronaldo in talks with WWE over potential appearance at Saudi event - Reports
Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly in talks with WWE to make an appearance at an event in Saudi Arabia.
GOAL (as per Relevo) have reported that the 38-year-old was slated to appear in the Crown Jewel event on November 4. However, with his club side Al-Nassr playing Al-Khaleej on the same day, Ronaldo is not going to grace the event.
Considering the huge marketability of Ronaldo, his presence was seen as pivotal in boosting the popularity of WWE in the Middle East. The Portugal captain was reported to make an appearance with John Cena, a WWE superstar who has also become popular in Hollywood.
WWE hope to have Ronaldo's presence in the event after Al-Nassr's game on November 4 is over. Whether that eventually happens remains to be seen, though, amidst the wrestling brand's keenness to venture into new markets.
Ronaldo is one of the biggest stars plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League at the moment. He has also fared well this season, bagging 14 goals and eight assists in 15 competitive appearances.
The tally includes 17 goal involvements (11 goals, six assists) in the league, propelling his side to within four points of leaders Al-Hilal after 11 games.
How Cristiano Ronaldo reacted to Lionel Messi's latest Ballon d'Or win
For the first time in two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo was not in the 30-man shortlist for the 2023 Ballon d'Or. To add insult to injury, the five-time winner's great rival Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth title at the event.
Ronaldo didn't congratulate Messi but left a few emoji comments on a video post of Diaro AS' Tomas Roncero. As per SI, Roncero said that Messi didn't deserve three of his eight Ballon d'Or awards, including the 2023 edition.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored 52 times in his side's historic 2022-23 treble-winning campaign and had a better season than Messi. However, the Argentinian's FIFA World Cup 2022 win - where he had seven goals and three assists in seven games - swayed journalists' votes in his favour.