Revealed: Role of ‘spiritual leader’ Cristiano Ronaldo in Al-Nassr training as freestyle football star Do Kim Phuc lifts the lid on squad standing

• Portuguese forward in Saudi Arabia
• Most lucrative contract in world football
• Inspirational figure to those around him

WHAT HAPPENED? The Portuguese icon has been in the Middle East since January, when he moved to Riyadh on the most lucrative contract in world football. Said switch has paved the way for many more household names to tread a similar path, with the likes of Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante now heading to Saudi Arabia – while several deals are still in the pipeline. Ronaldo is putting his vast experience to good use with Al-Nassr, despite seeing them miss out on Pro League title glory during his debut campaign, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner an inspirational figure to those around him.

WHAT THEY SAID: Freestyler Do Kim Phuc, who has won several awards himself, has said of being offered the chance to meet with Ronaldo and watch him in training: “It was a strange feeling, since it was a private training session and nobody was allowed to record anything. Ronaldo is like a spiritual leader of Al Nassr. He moved around, trained with every small group, and encouraged his team-mates.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Ronaldo is said to be earning around £177 million ($222m) a year at Al-Nassr and has registered 14 goals for the club through 19 appearances – with the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward showing no sign of slowing down at 38 years of age.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

Getty

WHAT NEXT? Ronaldo could face more serious opposition for major honours next season, with speculation suggesting that the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sadio Mane are being lined up for big-money contracts at Saudi outfits.