Cristiano Ronaldo has officially joined Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The question now is when he will begin playing for his new team. With clubs having returned from the World Cup break and domestic play resumed, it’s likely that Ronaldo will join Al Nassr soon. However, at 37 years old, he isn’t a guarantee to go straight into action.
When will Cristiano Ronaldo debut for Al Nassr?
Cristiano Ronaldo will be available to play for Al Nassr starting January 1, 2022, after his time with Portugal at the World Cup. However, he won’t be able to just walk into the starting lineup due to an incident from a few months ago.
In April, Ronaldo got a two-match suspension from the English Football Association (FA) for smashing an Everton fan’s phone following defeat at Goodison Park. However, as Ronaldo departed for the World Cup and then left Manchester United, his suspension was never served.
According to the Daily Mail, Ronaldo will be suspended for the first two matches of the Saudi Professional League. This means he will miss the January 5 match against Al Ta’ee and the January 14 match against league leaders Al Shabab. The game against Al Shabab is likely to be one of the most important games of the season, so Ronaldo’s absence will be felt. Instead, Ronaldo will be eligible to begin play for Al Nassr on January 21 against Ettifaq at home.
