2023-07-24 06:14:14
“We know that people are very passionate regarding football in Japan, we are here to contribute to the show”, assured “CR7”.
“We have two big matches to play,” rejoices the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is also due to meet Inter Milan on Thursday, still in the big Japanese port.
Smiling, speaking in English during the press conference presenting the match at the Nikko hotel in Osaka on Sunday, the Portuguese played his role as ambassador well, answering with affability the young children invited to ask questions to the players.
The ambassador costume suits him perfectly. Since his spectacular arrival in January, the flagship of the Saudi championship has been promoting it.
In his wake, other big names arrived this summer such as Karim Benzema and Ngolo Kanté at Al-Ittihad Jeddah, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovc-Savic at Al-Hilal, Édouard Mendy at Al-Ahli or even Seko Fofana and Marcelo Brozovic who joined him at Al-Nassr.
– A new holder in selection-
“I’m happy here, I want to continue here and I will continue here,” Ronaldo said in an interview with the Saudi League.
“I think if they keep doing the job they want to do here, the Saudi league can be one of the top five in the world in five years,” he promised.
Since his arrival, al-Nassr’s Twitter account has gone from 800,000 subscribers to 4 million and on Instagram from 2 million to more than 14 million followers!
Thanks in particular to its popularity, we now see female supporters at matches, still banned from stadiums a few years ago.
Sportingly, the success is not complete, Al-Nassr failed in the reconquest of the title of champion, fallen to Al-Ittihad. CR7 scored 14 goals in 16 matches, including a quadruple in their third game, once morest Al-Wehdah.
But he has regained a starting place in the selection, since the arrival on the bench of the Spaniard Roberto Martinez, and continues to push the records far.
For his 200th cap he scored the winning goal in Iceland (1-0) in qualifying for Euro-2024, his 123rd goal with Portugal!
“Win a few trophies”
“I will never give up coming here (in the Portugal team, editor’s note), because it’s always a dream. Reaching 200 international matches is not for anyone, it shows the love I have for my country and our selection, “he said in Reykjavik.
For the coming season, Ronaldo and his team have “a lot of goals. Of course I would like to win some trophies this year”, he smiled.
Two days following Inter, Al-Nassr begins its Arab Cup of Champions Cup season once morest its Saudi neighbor Al-Shabab.
A young Japanese footballer named Ryoto Iwaoka had asked him a question in Portuguese. The room had laughed, and the star had taken it back: do not make fun of his effort, he had said in essence.
This young man has just been voted best player in the most prestigious Japanese U18 tournament, and recalled this memory of CR7, which had boosted him.
“I am very happy that this boy has achieved what he wanted, as I always say: believe in your dreams because talent is not enough, you have to work,” said CR7.
“I am very happy that my words had an impact on this boy, and I wish that many children find success,” he concluded. Thank you, Ambassador.
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